William "Jk" McGill

1959 - 2022

William (JK) McGill
Aug. 9th, 1959 - Jan. 21, 2022
Campbell
JK passed away in Santa Cruz on January 21st, at the age of 62.
JK dedicated his life to caring for his family; sharing his vast knowledge; pursuing his love of comics, music, and sports; joking and laughing; and being a friend to all.
He was born in Sacramento, CA, and spent his first months raised on the grounds of Folsom Prison with his mother Joyce, father Bob, grandfather Edward DaPrato Sr. (who worked at the prison), and grandmother Milda.
His family then moved to Orangevale, CA, and added his brother Mike and grandma Milda to the household. This is where "JK" was given his nickname, based on a football player (JK McKay) and a stationary store (JK Gill). JK even told his wife that he got his nickname from his actual name, Jason Kramer. He attended Jesuit High School, and through his younger years he developed his love for animals, collecting, sports, reading, history, movies, comics, and trading cards.
He left Orangevale to attend Santa Clara University. He added to his hobbies when he became a lead singer in the band Rave. His love of music continued to grow, with Todd Rundgren being one of his favorites. He developed lifelong friendships at college, and also met his wife of 38 years, Colleen. They shared many memories from their college life, including JK borrowing Colleen's pink pants for one of his band's shows!
In December 1983, JK and Colleen married at Mission Santa Clara, where they first met and developed their lifelong love story. They set their roots in San Jose along with Colleen's mother Didi. The house was small, but always full of laughter, animals, family, and love. His first job during this time was at National Semiconductor.
In September 1984, their daughter Morgan was born. The family decided JK would be a stay-at-home father, which he was for the first 4 years of Morgan's life. This is when the dad jokes really got amped up. He would do anything for her, except learn how to do a ponytail!
In 1988, JK bought a comic book store called Mike's Coliseum in San Jose. He had always enjoyed reading and collecting comic books and cards from a young age, and now he could sell and talk with customers about them all day. He started to respond to "Mike," since everyone thought that was his name because of the name of the store. He was a man of many names. His contributions to the South Bay comic industry were immense.
In 1989, the family moved to Campbell and then added his son Connor in 1991. This is the family home that JK remained in until his passing. The most important quality JK possessed was his dedication to his family. He loved sharing experiences with his kids, including movies, music, comics, and so much more. Connor even became a lead singer of a band in college just like his dad, and continues to write and record music. JK instilled his love of sports as well: Go Sharks, Giants, Warriors, and Niners! Both children played many sports throughout their school years. He was their #1 fan!
Once Morgan graduated high school in 2002, it was time to sell the comic book store. He still continued to work there, now called Hijinx Comics, until his passing. He loved being in that store and talking to customers and friends. He had a real love for connecting with other people.
In 2006 he started coaching basketball at Del Mar High School, the same school that Morgan and Connor attended and where they played sports. He coached the JV girls basketball team with a passion that is not often seen, and purchased many gadgets and researched techniques to help the girls be the best they could be! He gave his all to the team: GO DONS! Del Mar is going to continue honoring JK the best way they know how: by playing hard, using sound fundamentals, and with infectious humor and a smile.
JK is survived by his wife Colleen, daughter Morgan and her husband Michael, son Connor and his wife Rachel, nephew Bret, brother Mike and his wife Teri, dogs Harley and Sir Funk, and many extended family and friends.
JK will truly be missed. A celebration of his life will be planned at a later date. Please honor JK each day by being a role model, a kind person, and sharing a smile and a joke.
"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me." - Batman, Batman Begins
Because of JK's love for animals, in lieu of flowers, please donate to the Humane Society (https://www.hssv.org/) or the World Wildlife Fund (https://www.worldwildlife.org/).


View the online memorial for William (JK) McGill