Jonn Scott Flath, born January 5th 1993
Our son passed away while doing what he loved most, training to become an officer in the United States Air Force at Loyola Marymount University. Jonn touched the lives of everyone who knew him, and his love and zest for life extended beyond his friends to those who only heard about him. For the Acton/Agua Dulce community, Jonn attended Agua Dulce Elementary for one year and then attended High Desert for 2 years before receiving an official transfer by the Los Angeles County Office of Education to the William S. Hart Unified School District where he then attended Rancho Pico Jr. High and graduated at the top of his class from West Ranch.
Jonn taught himself how to ride a bike at the age of 3 and at 5 years old was proficient at roller blading and roller hockey having also learned these skills on his own. At the age of 8, Jonn obtained a Black Belt in Shorinjiryu Karate in Santa Clarita and traveled as far as Montreal Canada for international tournaments. He loved sports and enjoyed playing on basketball teams, football teams and he spent his last 2 high school years on the West Ranch Varsity Volleyball team.
Jonn received a congressional nomination from Congressman McKeon to attend the United States Air Force Academy, however do to class size reduction, Jon was put on a wait list and subsequently not picked up. Taking a second approach to serve his country, Jonn enrolled at COC and the AFROTC program at Loyola Marymount University in Marina Del Rey.
Jonn was a regular runner and did not have any difficulties running a fast 3 mile run. Jonn's first run at LMU occured on 9/9/11 and resulted in Jonn feeling dizzy and having to stop his run at less than 1.5 miles. The run was very easy on a abandoned LA City owned paved road with a very slight decline. Jonn walked off the road, refusing to ride in a golf cart. His condition was attributed to either heat or de-hydration issues. One week later, Jonn ran a 3 mile run near our house with his brother-in-law Luis and Jonn did not show any signs of difficulties. Jonn also ran on the treadmill several times without any incident.
It was during Jonn's 2nd attempt to run at LMU on 9/23/11 when at the exact same location from two weeks earlier, Jonn experienced the identical symptons of dizziness and spots in his vision.This time, Jonn had to stop at the 1.25 mile mark and this is where Jonn's life slipped into our Lord's hands.
It was during Jonn's 2nd attempt to run at LMU on 9/23/11 when at the exact same location from two weeks earlier, Jonn experienced the identical symptons of dizziness and spots in his vision.This time, Jonn had to stop at the 1.25 mile mark and this is where Jonn's life slipped into our Lord's hands.
The testimonies of Jonn’s faith in his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has reached countless numbers of people. The hundreds of friends from school, college, and AFROTC all talk about how much Jonn was humble, loving, caring and always willing to share his faith in Jesus, and the number of people impacted by his faith and love cannot be measured.
We love our son with an immeasurable amount and hope that those of you who knew him will know that Jonn is watching over everyone of us from this day forward. Jonn is survived by:
His parents Mark and Ana Flath (Agua Dulce),
His siblings:
- Paul and Suzie Crabtree (Hacienda Heights) and three nieces Marina, Sabrina and Maddison,
- Jeffery and Kristy Reid (Pasadena) and niece Mackenzie,
- Luis and Michelle Aguilar (Agua Dulce) and three nieces Micayla, Sophia and Mia
- His youngest sister Robyn Flath (Agua Dulce)
To read the entire story, click here
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Flath,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry it has taken me so long to post. I copied the blog address in-correctly, and finally took a picture of the plaque on his memorial today on my run. I am the nurse who cared for your son on September 23, 2011. I will forever be touched by your son……
We did everything we could to save your son, but he was already gone. We have many advances in medicine, but our attempts were not successful. For this I am sorry. My heart ached for him and my heart ached for you. He was clearly a young, healthy, vibrant young man and he was taken too early. God clearly had a plan for him, but I couldn’t help but ask why? His passing was very difficult on everyone who helped care for him, and our hearts were heavy. I want you to know that I prayed for him as he came into our ER and I continued to pray for him during our efforts to revive him, and to this day, as I pass his memorial on my runs, I stop and pray for him. I am not a very religious person but I will forever be touched by your son.
I wanted to share something with you that happened to me after his passing. I live in Playa Vista and I took up running about 1 year before your son passed. I usually run in Playa Vista and had run on the “trail” between Playa Vista and LMU about 4 times in the year preceding your son’s death. I knew your son had gone into cardiac arrest somewhere near LMU but did not know the exact location. On a beautiful afternoon, I decided to leave work early and take a nice long run. Although I had only run the “trail” about 4 times, for whatever reason, I decided to change my regular route and run the “trail” that day. I ran down through Playa Vista and headed up the “trail”. As I got about 50 yards into my run, I felt a cold rush of air pass my face and looked around trying to figure out what had caused it since it was a warm and sunny day. There wasn’t any wind and the trees were still which was puzzling to me. I continued to run up the hill and came around the corner and saw about 100 people standing around on the “trail”. I was taken aback by the crowd but continued to run towards the group. As I got closer, I realized that most of the group had on matching t-shirts and shorts. I quickly realized what was happening and that there was a memorial being erected for your son. It was at this point that I put the pieces together and realized that your son had passed on the “trail”. I slowed my pace and made my way through the crowd. I was overcome with emotion and couldn’t stop or say anything to the group that had assembled. I knew you were probably there and I desperately wanted to turn around and come and talk to you but I just couldn’t….
I believe that I took that route, on that day, at that time, because I was supposed to be a part of the memorial. I believe your son made that happen. I am convinced of this. I want you to know that you and your son will forever be in my heart. I run the “trail” regularly now and stop every time I pass the memorial, pause, and say a prayer in your son’s memory.
Thank you for your thoughts, prayers and comment. Yes, I was most likely up holding the cross when you came buy. The T-shirt and shorts group were members of Jonn's ROTC unit. If you go to the RIp Facebook page, you can see more detailed pictures of the cross erection (http://www.facebook.com/pages/RIP-Jonn-Flath/127668720668493). Also page 21 discusses the cross erection.
ReplyDeleteSo you were right there with us that day when we placed the cross and you were there with us today on Mother's Day. Ana and I were there sometime around 3:30 this afternoon. Possibly later. We placed new flowers there, said prayers and cleaned up a little.
Thank you for your regular prayers every time you pass the cross. Thank you for all that you did to try and save Jonn.
Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us.
In Jesus name,
Mark and Ana Flath
To the Flath family ...I from Cleveland and have been in LA for business this month and discovered Jonn's memorial on my morning runs. I just want to say that everytime I pass by I pray that God grants you the peace that passes all understanding. Jonn's race is won. He's with our heavenly Father and you can take comfort in that. Thank you for the memorial and it's witness. John 3:16
ReplyDeleteTim
Mr. and Mrs. Flath, I just ran into you today on the trail and I am so happy I did. I was saddened to hear of you loss, but am confident my cousin and your son are in peace and perfection in heaven together.
ReplyDeleteOut of breath and overcome with emotion, I didn't know exactly what to say, but I thought I'd share this now: I was on mile 2.5 (farther than I had ran in a while due to the holidays), and was just waiting for the end of the path to come into sight. I guess I took a different path than I had planned on taking (the one just below) and needed to dig deep to find the (mostly mental) endurance to keep going. I realized that I hadn't been thinking of my cousin Megan as much as I used to, so I asked her to run with me, and I believe she did. She kept me going for that last mile. Had I not run down the unintended path, which took me farther than I had planned on going, I believe I would have run right past you two and immediately tried to tackle that incline.
I'm so glad to have met you and learned about your son. He sounds like an incredible individual and I look forward to reading more.
God bless! John will be in my prayers :)
Rebecca
Uncle Mark and Auntie Ana,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for your loss. I just wanted to tell you that even just that one visit to your home so many years ago made a lasting impact for Di and I. The bonding, the love, the strong faith... it set one of the high standards for our marriage. Reading what others have written about Jonn is a strong testament to his character and that of yours as well. His impact can never be fully measured in this life but we know we will be reunited in the next one. We have and always will continue to pray with you and for you.
Mr. and Mrs. Flath and Family,
ReplyDeleteI am from a small town in Indiana and came across your son's memorial while running "Jonn's Path" last week. I was visiting my oldest son, Chris, who lives just below the trail. Coincidentally, Chris is an USAFA grad (my second son, Thomas, is a dental officer in the USAF). I was so touched by the story of Jonn that I needed to reach out and comment. As a parent of sons that, like your Jonn, chose to serve our country, I appreciate his conviction of service and sacrifice. Ultimately, though I can only sympathize with your great loss, I wish to extend a deep sense of thankfulness that you shared Jonn's life with others. He was clearly a remarkable young man --- and now an enduring Spirit that deserves our thoughts and prayers. As parents, we should never know the loss of a child, but your loving tribute keeps his memory alive and touches others in ways unexpected. Sadly, I missed the cross the first time I ran the trail - my mind was focused on trivial events - but on the second run the cross seemed to jump out at me. I am so grateful that I was blessed with your son's story. I felt a sense of comfort and serenity when I touched his beautiful piece of earth I will keep Jonn and your family in my thoughts and prayers, as it reinforces how precious our children are to our lives. Thank you for sharing and enriching us with your amazing young man's life and narrative.
Mr. and Mrs. Flath and Family,
ReplyDeleteI live in Playa Vista and regularly - 4 or 5 times a week - walk the trail below LMU. My usual route is from my home, up Lincoln and then the trail to the "intersection" just past Jonn's memorial. Short break then the return trip. Each time I pass his cross, I remove my cap, bow my head a little and say a short prayer. I am impressed by your loving care and maintenance of his memorial and enjoy seeing the seasonal changes of its tasteful decoration. I am deeply moved by your son's story and by your family's love and dedication. I only wish I had had the honor to meet him. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
ReplyDeleteyou and your blog is deserving of the highest esteem or admiration. Your writing and understanding skill is so high.
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I run that fire road every week as well, and it's rare that I don't stop for a moment at Jonn's memorial. I've always thought that the care given to his cross is a testament to the love his family shares with him. After all these year, it still moves me every time I come upon it.
ReplyDeleteI came across Jonn's memorial today... Looked you up when got home ... And now I'm teary eyed reading your story...
ReplyDeleteLove and peace to your ❤️ from mine
Today I encountered Jon’s memorial for the first time. I was walking and jogging with my young daughter. We paused for a moment to pay our respects. My father was in the Air Force, and I imagined him at the same age. Made for a moment to talk about life. I’ll always pause there from now on. Peace to you all.
ReplyDeleteI hike the LMU trail weekly and each time I stop by Jonn's memorial and say hello and thank him for reminding me how precious this moment is. I feel Jonn's positive vibration everywhere I am on the trail. Thank you for your family and son.
ReplyDeleteWe usually bike the LMU trail and don’t stop with our dogs. The last few days we decided to take our dogs on a nice long walk down the trail. We noticed the memorial and it was very touching. We have 2 small children and this made me tear up. I took a photo of the plaque to read more about his life. It s unbearable to loose a child. And I don’t want to attempt to know your pain. I hope he is in a better place, and knows how much impact this will have on others. Life’s not promised tomorrow and I will cherish that reminder. Much Love to you and your family. I will say a prayer when I pass by the trail 🙏 Sturman Family
ReplyDeleteI hiked the LMU trail today for the first time and saw Jonn’s memorial. Whilst I never knew him, his story truly broke my heart. Sending prayers to the family
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