Jonathan Guy Tunnell^[1]

1975 - 1993  (18 years)

• Name	Jonathan Guy Tunnell  [1]
  Born	27 Mar 1975	Richland, Benton, Washington, United States   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Memories	By sjkang  [1]
  	Jonathan Contributed By sjkang · 25 September 2014 Jonathan was three years older than me so we weren't super close. (That probably had something to do with fact that it was frustrating for him to watch me be a silly teenager when he was older and wiser!) Jonathan had a green bug that he had worked really hard on to get running. It was always having problems and always needed a push for it to start up as we were leaving seminary to head over to the high school. One day, as we were driving to the high school, Jonathan was mocking one of my "relationships" as some boy had given me a flower. Jonathan tucked the flower in his windshield wiper and told me that my relationship with this boy would last as well as the flower did. Of course, the flower was in pretty bad shape by the time we got to the high school and, of course, the "relationship" held up just as well. While Jonathan was fighting cancer, he continued working hard at his high school classes, determined to stay on track for graduation. One day, as we were walking in from the parking lot, I was behind Jonathan just enough to overhear some boys making fun of his "Cancer wannabe" bald head. I remember crying over their insensitivity and wishing they had been close enough to see the port in his chest. When I went to my first class, I was still upset and my teacher quickly heard the story. I remember him telling me how much respect he had for Jonathan and telling me that despite everything Jonathan was going through, he had just aced some test for an AP class. He told me that the boys I had heard were bottom of the barrel losers and how amazing Jonathan was. All of the teachers at the high school loved Jonathan, but who wouldn't love a student that was passionate about learning and who worked like crazy to do well in school?
  Memories	Death in my family by sjkang  [1]
  	Death in my family Contributed By sjkang · 9 February 2015 This is part of a series where I answer a family history related question each week. The deaths that have affected me the most in my life were the deaths of my brother, Jonathan, and my sister, Becky. (Probably because the both passed away at very young ages and we're definitely close to me!) Jonathan passed away after battling with Lymphoma. He was diagnosed in April or May and passed away in September. He was a hard working student in his senior year of high school when he was diagnosed and he did not let treatment slow him down. I remember being upset when some less than sensitive guys were making fun of him, calling him a chemo wannabe. I went to my class in tears and I remember my geography teacher telling me how stupid those guys were and that in the middle of Jonathan's treatment, he had just pulled off the highest grade in the AP history class next door. Jonathan fought hard and was determined to be well enough to go off to college that fall. He went through radiation and chemotherapy and was cancer free in time to head off to University of Texas that fall. He was in heaven as a college student. He loved learning and reading books. By mid September, he was sick with a lung fungus that they think was caused by him not taking a specific medication he was prescribed. When my mom went into his dorm, there was a pile of books along with a list of books that he wanted to get to. We had moved up to Washington by this point so my dad was at home taking care of us while my mom was in Texas with Jonathan at the hospital. I still remember the night that my dad was told that he needed to get down to Texas if he wanted to say goodbye to Jonathan before he passed away. Up until that point, as a 15 year old girl, I always thought he would get better. I never expected him to pass away and because of that, I didn't feel like I really said goodbye or took advantage of the time that could have been spent with him. . For this reason, 17 years later, when we were hearing the word cancer again with Becky, I was determined to make every second count. I was determined to be there for her at any cost and to have to regrets. We all drove up to walk in the race for a cure, we shaved our heads together, I was able to take several trips up to spend time with Becky and to spend time with her kids. I am so grateful for those 5 months that Heavenly Father blessed us with to say goodbye to Becky. It didn't make the goodbye easy but it did make it easier.
  Died	24 Sep 1993	Austin, Travis, Texas, United States   [1]
  Buried	Richland, Benton, Washington, United States   [1]
  Person ID	I8	Robinson-Jochen
  Last Modified	16 Mar 2015

  
  

  Father	Living
  Mother	Living
  Family ID	F2	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 27 Mar 1975 - Richland, Benton, Washington, United States Died - 24 Sep 1993 - Austin, Travis, Texas, United States Buried - - Richland, Benton, Washington, United States  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S1] GEDCOM file imported on 15 March 2015.