John Edmund Miskel

1964 - 2012

John Edmund Miskel began his next journey Jan. 14, 2012.

He was born March 18, 1964, in Oxnard to Leonard A. "Tim" and Mariel Franz Miskel. John was a third generation Californian with roots dating back to the early pioneer days of Ventura. His great-grandfather, Emmanuel Franz, arrived in Ventura in the 1870s and later built a home at 31 N. Oak Street that still stands today.

John loved playing sports as a child and was very athletic, excelling in baseball and football especially. He graduated from St. Bonaventura High School in 1982 and attended Ventura College. John's love of music began at a very early age, starting with "Let it Be" and continuing throughout his too short life. He loved all kinds of music, from Bach to the Beatles, to Reggae to Jazz, to his beloved Beach Boys. He was truly a music historian as well as a sports and history buff.

John began his music career as a drummer in various bands, including a family band with his father and brothers, and later turned to guitar and keyboards, excelling at all three instruments, as well as being a great singer. He was a 19-year member of the popular local band, Crosscut, which he co-founded with his dear friend Peter Tierney. John, Peter, Ron and David were all good friends and made a great team.

John entertained thousands and brought many thousand more smiles to so many faces with his infectious good cheer and great talent. His dedication to music was only superseded by his dedication to his family. John was a proud stay-at-home dad to his children, Erica and James. He was always there to change a diaper, bandage a scrape, wipe a tear, share a laugh, teach them the finer points of life, beam with delight at all their graduations and at other school events, and watch them grow into young adults. He loved coaching the kids' various sports teams, and was thrilled that his children shared his love and talent for music by becoming accomplished musicians themselves.

John never failed to mention his intense love of and pride in his children, and they were certainly his most treasured joy. John was the youngest of a close-knit family of five boys, and as such, was always the source of great fun and love in his special role as the baby of the family. John's band mates recall that when any other band member was ill, a replacement was quickly found, the show went on. If John was sick, the gig was canceled. Therein lies a perfect example of how irreplaceable he was and always will be.

John was a greatly loved, integral and eternal pillar of our family, and though our broken hearts will never mend from his loss, our memories of him as a beautiful, sensitive, caring, and concerned husband, father, son, brother and friend will never be diminished or forgotten. The sum total of ones life is not measured in how it ends, but in how it is lived, and Johnny's was lived by loving and caring for others.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Mariel in 2009, and Tim in 2011. John is survived by his wife, Nancy; daughter, Erica; son, James; brothers, Kevin (Dena), Michael (Eydie), Jeffrey (Kristi) and Patrick (Lisa); nephews and nieces, Dennis (Julia), Kiana, Edward, Peracylia, Faith (Ryan), Ashley, Sarah and Clare. He is also survived by many cousins and many more friends.

A celebration of John's life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 79 Yosemite Court, Ventura. For directions or other information call 805-701-9828.

"The river flows, it flows to the sea, wherever that river goes, that's where I want to be, flow river flow, let your waters wash down, take me from this road, to some other town All he wanted, was to be free, and that's the way, it turned out to be." Flow on, John, now and forever.