Jonathan Thomas Zerkle – “Jon”, “Zerk”

54 years young, passed away peacefully on April 18, 2024.

Jon was one in a billion, a warrior…..incredibly smart, quiet, unique, and a special man who had a dry sense of humor and was unlike anyone you’d ever meet.  He was a talented mechanic for over 30 years who specialized in motorcycle maintenance and repair.  He enjoyed teaching others his trade and was proud to share his knowledge of his work.  He could hear a machine and diagnose it instantly.  Jon loved riding his variety of motorcycles, which he said each had a different personality, along with driving his Zoom Zoom Mazda’s and his Dodge Sprinter Van. He was so happy when he got his van and looked forward to adventuring in it. He enjoyed watching a variety of shows such as motorsports racing, Gutfeld, How It’s Made, Star Wars and Sci-Fi flicks.  Jon loved colorful lights, fireworks and was an avid reader.  He said that is how he learned a lot of information.  He liked being on his tablet on Telegram checking out random stuff, like funny memes.  He also loved sending random memes and pictures of various car decals to those he was closest to.  Watching rocket launches from Vandenberg AFB was another enjoyment of Jon’s. Then later he enjoyed watching a variety of rockets launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) from the comfort of his backyard.  One specific rocket experience he loved watching was a SpaceX Dragon reentry light up the night sky. Jon was especially excited about the SpaceX Starship program process.  He said he would’ve gone to Mars if he could.

Zerk took pride in many years of volunteering as an official at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA. There he met his dear SCRAMP Kennel Crew friends that became family and who he made wonderful memories with.  Jon’s friends were one of quality and not quantity.  He also met his future wife, Juliet, at the raceway.  Their friendship turned into a relationship and years later he would move 3,000 miles away from California, the only state and home that he ever knew, to be with her in Florida.  It was a true love story the way God intended and placed them to be together.  Though they weren’t together for long, they made and experienced a lifetime of memories in a short period of time blessed many times over.

Recently, our family went on a cruise together.  While on the cruise, Jon hoped to see a launch from KSC head over the Caribbean ocean while on our ship, and he did!  He was so happy to see the full moon, which always occurs two weeks before the eclipse, while we were cruising.

Jon had a special place in his heart for and loved his nephew, Chase Zerkle.  He had beautiful eyes and a kind, caring heart just like his mother, Shirley Price.  Jon had an engineering mind like his father, Garwood Zerkle.  And Jon very much loved his brother, Jerry Zerkle.  Jon was happy and thankful for the family he had, including his immediate and newer extended family.

Thank you to William Child’s Hospice House for all the wonderful loving care that Jon and his family received.  May God bless them and their special facility.

A celebration for Jon’s life will be held in August where he will be laid to rest with his father and grandparents in the community where he loved and was raised.

Thank you to everyone that has prayed and sent messages.  They are much appreciated.  May God bless you all!

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