Jon A Reeves

Jon A Reeves left this plane of existence, holding the hand of the love of his life, while "Back Home Again" by John Denver played, on December 15, 2024, at 4:02am, after a yearlong journey with Glioblastoma. 

So how do we sum up a force of nature like Jon? In truth, we can't. We can tell you he was born on May 29, 1962, in Munich to military parents. (Facts that led to many many questions when going through passport control.) 

We can tell you that Jon had no choice but to be remarkable with parents like Bob and Pat. His father was a Green Beret in the Korean War and had earned such respect from the people on base that Jon was able to have experiences that most children don't. His mother, Pat, was really the force to be reckoned with in the family though. She taught all the housewives on base in Germany to drive because she said they needed to know, and she was tired of driving them. When the family came back home to Antigo, Wisconsin, she was known for knitting a sweater in an afternoon, while drinking her coke, and teaching the nuns of Jon's elementary school, St. Mary's, how to knit. Between the nuns, his Special Forces Godfathers, and all of the aunts baking, Jon's home was full of people, coffee, food, and love. 

As a teenager, Jon fell in love with playing guitar and skateboarding. He was in different bands, playing gigs in various bars while his mother knitted and made sure they were paid fairly. 

In high school, a teacher asked the class if anyone was interested in running a light board for the school play. Jon thought it sounded interesting, so he raised his hand. That one moment set him on a path that would span 5 decades.

In college, at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, he studied theater and sculpture. He was part of every production done, big or small, during those 4 years, whether it was the lighting or sound designer, directing, building the sets, or stage managing. "If you're backstage, you'll always have a job." In Whitewater, he was part of more bands and started writing his own plays and composing scores.

After Whitewater, he moved to "beautiful Champaign-Urbana, Illinois", as he would always call it. He had his first job in professional, equity theater at the Sunshine Dinner Theater. There he also began being a roadie for concerts. He worked the first Farm Aid, and famously lit Lou Reed's cigarette backstage.

"Then I started hanging out with the wrong crowd, Renaissance Fair people," he'd say with a smirk. Once they saw he had some skills, they apprenticed him off to an old, angry blacksmith. Another one of those moments in time that set him on a lifelong path. He learned blacksmithing, weaponry, armory, all while being a live steel combatant in the fairs. 

When he had had enough of wearing chain mail every day, he accepted a job as the Technical Director of the Civic Youth Theater in Kalamazoo, MI. CYT became as transformative for him as it was for all the kids that came through his shop. Jon always had a gruff, slightly intimidating outward appearance. As much as parents were surprised, they were trusting him with their children, he was also surprised they were trusting him. Later in life he would reflect on how much that meant to him. The CYT kids always held a special place in his heart. 

After his time at the Civic, he became the Director of Technical Theater at Kalamazoo College. "Just a fancy name for a carpenter." He was so unlike the teachers and professors you'd expect there. His final exam for Stagecraft became his students’ hardest exam, something he was immensely proud of. All because of the knot tying. 

All during his time in Kalamazoo, he worked in every theater that has existed in the last 35 years, lit more productions for dance and concerts than he could remember, and built sets for summer stock. 

During this time, he was also always blacksmithing. He was an instructor at Smart Shop before opening his own forge, Combat Ready Art, almost 20 years ago. There he was able to teach blacksmithing. "If you don't teach it, the art is going to die." 

It was in the forge, 7 years ago, that Jon met the love of his life, Jutta, when her son, Adam, started taking blacksmithing classes. It was another one of those moments that the universe set all three of them down a path together. They had their Monday Family days of guitar lessons for Adam, and then his choice for dinner. Family day trips to the Reindeer Ranch in Kalamazoo or Sweetwater Music in Fort Wayne, Jon and Adam's shrimp eating competitions at Red Lobster. They both liked to claim that they're the reason Red Lobster declared bankruptcy. Adam gave him a gift no one else could, the chance to be a father. He didn't think he would be a good father because he was always working. What he learned from Adam was that you bring the family with you. 

Jon and Jutta were a love story for the ages. They showed each other that you didn't have to change to be unconditionally loved. Jutta learned everything Jon would teach. When she said she didn't know how to use a tool, Jon's reply was "well then you need to learn." They were often seen carrying 6' sticks of tube steel down the Kalamazoo Mall, or at Principle after a day of teaching, with having coal smudges on their faces. And Jon would go along to photoshoots with Jutta and hold lights or umbrellas. 

There was a trust and love between them that neither had experienced before. They would often tell each other "you did good", "no you did good". Then one would say "no we did good." It was always "We". 

Jon was a fixture in Kalamazoo, and especially on the Kalamazoo Mall. "Let's go annoy the neighbors." He was often seen on the corner of South Street in front of the cigar shop, tattoos done by his dear friend Raven on full display, guitar in hand, playing music, not for money, but just to play.

Jon lived a thousand lifetimes in his 62 years. His influence will live on in the physical art he created that can be seen throughout Kalamazoo, and, most especially, in the lives he changed, the skills he taught, and the unexpected paths he sent people on. 

Jon is survived by his wife Jutta (Wilberding), whom he loved so completely, his stepchildren, Selena, Karim, and Adam, his cats Beezer, Cygnus, and Eva, cousins, lifelong friends, and the communities he created in theater and the forge. 

Welcoming him to his next journey, with new Levi's and Nike Cortez, are his parents, Robert and Patricia. 

A celebration of life will be held for Jon on Monday, January 6, 2025, at Langeland Family Funeral Homes 3926 S. 9th St. Kalamazoo, MI 49009. Friends are invited to gather from 1:00 to 2:00 when a memorial service begins. For those who cannot make it, the memorial service will be streamed.

In lieu of flowers, Jon would want you to go learn something new. Go make something.