MICHAEL JOHN McGANN

My family in New York with Michael John, 2005. We were classmates at St. Ignatius High School, stayed in touch. Michael John was a kind of godfather to my artistic, performing kids.

We just found out about this passing. I have so much love for this wonderful artist, BEST Stephano! and have cherished receiving his beautiful calligraphy every year, every holiday in December. Know how much we appreciate him being a part of our lives. Lesley and Michael Countryman

MichaelJohn and I were friends when we were in the same homeroom at St. Ignatius in 1965. I reconnected with him in 1978 when I reviewed his performance in "Taming of the Shrew," and we have been friends since, corresponding often by snail mail and later email. He was a sort of artistic godfather to my two daughters, a math professor, a dancer and choreographer, and son, a jazz musician. A great friend. Generous and hilariously funny. A fine writer. He might have been born in 1590 in London.

Michael was a very special person to me. I am sorry to hear about his passing. He was my family's next door neighbor and one of my protectors as a kid.

I had to remember your earthly birthday on this February 2nd. I am rejoicing that you now have a new life in heaven. Love you.

We knew Michael John from "back in the day" when we were part of a "professional actor training program" at Ohio U., together. Michael John was brilliant in numerous ways. Aside from his natural cleverness and riveting presence onstage, his humor on the flukes of human behavior was both entertaining, and frightfully on target! Plus every year, still, at Christmas we admire & display a series of 3 etchings he did based on Dickens's A Christmas Carol. What a deeply impactful soul he was; and...

I met Michael John when we were doing our pre-broadway run of "Arsenic and Old Lace," coincidently in Cleveland, Ohio. We were the youngest actors in a company of Old Pros, so we immediately struck up a friendship; comrades in arms so to speak. I remember his great skill in calligraphy, his 46th street apartment stacked wall to wall to ceiling with his favorite books. But the thing I most remember about Michael John was his quick mind and great sense of humor. When we would sit around...