Jonathan Michael Selikoff, 47, our sweet, gentle, kind and much-loved dadin, husband, son and friend, passed away on November 23, 2017 of ALS.
Jon faced the disease with his trademark humor, meeting its many challenges with courage and grace. Upon diagnosis he declared his intent to live as fully as possible, and did so, attending 9 Bruce Springsteen shows (plus assorted others); zip lining and communing with sloths, monkeys and burglars in Costa Rica; cheering through countless Yankees games; connecting with his many friends; and, more than anything, making each moment count.
Jon had a great love for design and typography, which he expressed through his graphic design studio and his letterpress business, which he often described as his “midlife crisis.” He listed his position at both businesses as “Owner/Janitor,” and amassed a collection of hundreds of pieces of wood type, thousands of pounds of paper, countless fonts and several tons of limb- and-life-threatening printing presses. His eye for color was a regular point of contention between him and his wife Lauren, who couldn’t tell one slate blue from another, despite the fact that they were “obviously very different” according to Jon. Despite her obvious flaws, they loved each other deeply every day of their more than 20 years together.
His great passions were Yankees baseball, live music (particularly Bruce Springsteen), thrashing friends in epic games of Words with Friends, and spending time with his family. Before his passing, his father Joel was his best friend and confidante. His mother Isabelle was his first great love, his unwavering supporter and his rock for each day of his 47 years. His greatest love was his adored son Sam. Watching Sam sing onstage, teaching him guitar and photography, going to concerts together and just sitting and talking about life – moments with Sam were the greatest joys of Jon’s life.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Jon graduated from Peddie School, Emory University and Portfolio Center. He is survived by his wife Lauren, his son Sam, 11; his mother Isabelle of Princeton; his uncle and aunt Paul and Barbara Mohl of Dallas; his brother-in-law Brett Shanahan, father-in-law John Shanahan and mother-in-law Kathryn Shanahan. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made the ALS-NY chapter.