This weekend we say farewell to Jon as we send his ashes into the ocean to become a part of a coral reef. You probably know that coral, fish and all things aquatic were one of Jon’s passions. Here are some pictures of his fish and coral.
On Friday, April 17, 2015 Jon’s ashes (as well as some ashes of his cats Bunji and Simba) were cast into an Eternal Reef, a unique memorial that replaces cremation urns and ash scatterings with a permanent environmental living legacy as a gift to the environment and generations yet to come. The cast is made of cement with an anchor on top. Around the anchor more cement was poured and Madelyn made a fish design with Jon’s initials, J O N R and also their two cats, B for Bunji; S for Simba.
Many family members attended today along with volunteers from the Karen Beasley Turtle Rescue and Rehab facility. http://www.seaturtlehospital.org/ Karen died from leukemia in 1991 at age 29, after starting the rescue center with her mother Jean who now runs the facility. One of their turtles also passed away, and his ashes were also placed into a separate cast.
The dedication is scheduled for April 20, 2015 off the coast of Topsail Island, North Carolina.
Fare thee well, Jon