Life Reflection
Jonathan McCoy was born on September 17, 1996 in Chicago, Illinois, to Darrell and Angela McCoy. He is the youngest of their three children: Alexis and Thomas. His great-grandfather, Herman Farmer, grandfather, George McCoy, uncle, Kenneth Jones and his second cousin, Darryl Hams who preceded him in death. He was baptized in the Name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit first in his mother’s womb on August 25, 1996, at Apostolic Church of God and on May 10, 1997 at St. Thomas the Apostle.
He was a young man so full of life. He woke up each morning with a smile on his face, from the time he was a baby until his untimely departure. Behind those handsome eyes was a beautiful spirit, kind and considerate with a forgiving heart. Despite the challenges he faced early in childhood, he never complained, never gave up and never asked, “why me.” The Christ within him gave him strength and courage to pursue goals and overcome his setbacks. He did it with dignity and confidence. He loved the Lord and attending church every Sunday.
He was funny/comical….a real prankster. Often being the initiator of jokes against his family. Jonathan was a mini chef who learned to cook in the sixth-grade, and he was a Kool-aid mix master, who made the best pitcher of Kool-aid in the Mid-west. He loved to eat and his favorite foods were sushi, shrimp and his Mom’s macaroni & cheese. His driving and dancing skills were one and the same… all over the place (whew!!) His personality was outwardly shy, but inwardly….outgoing. He was also an amazing photographer, with an exceptional eye for detail.
Jonathan was a junior at Hales Franciscan High School. He loved school and never wanted to miss a day. He was an excellent student and knew the importance of an education; history and science being his favorite subjects. He took his role seriously as manager of the basketball team (freshman, sophomore) and looked forward to managing for varsity. He was smart, intelligent, and organized; methodical in his approach on life, a real thinker. He loved reading, fishing (with Dad & Thomas), playing basketball, video games and chess. He was a sports enthusiast…so knowledgeable with statistics and players, a walking encyclopedia of who’s who of sports today. His favorite teams were the Hales Franciscan Spartans, Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma Thunder and Chicago Bears.
On September 12, 2013, Jonathan went on to be with the Lord. It was the young man he had grown up to be; his strength, courage and love of life that lead to the decision by his parents to donate his organs and tissues to the Gift of Hope Foundation. Seven (the number of completion in the bible—only with God can this happen) of his organs were placed with individuals in the U.S. It is humbling to know that the best part of him, his heart, was given to a 17 year old young man in Michigan. The Lord has been good to Jonathan and his family. By God’s Grace Jonathan still lives on. He touched the lives of many with his compassion for life making every moment count. He is one of God’s Angels that will be greatly missed. The family has elected to cremate Jonathan’s remains after the service. “We have given part of him to the World; the rest will remain with us.”