Dan Burstein

I didn't know Johnny well. I was originally in the Class of '71, then the Class of '70, and then through various miracles of the 1960s, graduated with the Class of '69. But Johnny, of course, was a legend, and I knew him in passing. I was on the track team while he was playing football, and I went to many of the home football games. And, for those of you who may remember, my sister Bonnie (deceased: 2020) was in the Class of '69 from the beginning of high school and knew Johnny better. We were all at El Rodeo together as well.

If I am not mistaken, it seems to Johnny had a yellow Dodge Charger in one of the first few model years of that car. Is that a correct memory? If so, it is an interesting synchronicity. I was reading these BHHS memories and tributes as I watched Sunday night's episode of the CBS TV show, Tracker. The show featured a subplot about a souped-up Dodge Charger. If anyone can confirm or correct my memory, please let me know. Thanks. 

Sympathies to family and friends.

--Dan Burstein

Benet Rutenberg

I can confirm the Dodge Charger but not certain of the color. Perhaps Silver. It was early production: Fastback and full width tail light. It would have been '67 or maybe '66 as he got his license in December of '66.

Dan Burstein

Thanks, Benet. Appreciate your note. A minor but interesting synchronicity of Dodge Charger/Johnny Cole/and Tracker stories. Again, sympathies and condolences all around.

--Dan

Benet Rutenberg

Thanks Dan and All,

Remembering these moments of December 1966 into the new year, Jonny and I were starting for JV Basketball. In early February, we were playing our rival, Culver City over there. One of their guys poked Jonny in the eye. You might think: stuff happens. Well, the guy's fingernail lacerated Jonny's eye from the cornea to the retina. It was 50/50 he would loose sight in that eye. We didn't know how bad it was, though Jonny was in a tremendous amount of pain. There was blood and, little did we know, how fortunate we were to have the eye center at UCLA. 24 stitches later, Jonny was out of danger. Fast forward 3 weeks and we are playing Culver City again, in the Swim Gym. Our last game. JV games were not well attended. Steve, Neal and Jonny are the crowd cheering us on. Near the end of the first half, the three of them point to their player saying that's the guy that poked Jonny's eye out. (He had mostly recovered by then) My vision narrowed. Presently this guy is on a fast break. I got there in time to receive an assist: for face planting him into the support pole directly in front of our audience of 3. As I was unceremoniously ejected from the game; the crowd (of 3) went wild. I treasure the time of our friendship Jonathon Cole!

Alan Duke

Benet, your memory never ceases to amaze me.  I hope you won the game.

Benet Rutenberg

Well I can't remember that! 🥸 That was it for basketball.

Jason Newman

so sorry to hear of jon's passing. however, from talking to friends and on the occasion of when we saw each other, he grabbed life by the throat and lived it to the fullest. my first memory of jon was when i was a new kid at beverly vista and trying to earn some credibility with my teammates, and we were playing el rodeo in flag football. jon had the ball and it was up to us to pull the flag off his waist which would end the play. usually, when a person was running with the ball he would try to elude you by faking one way and running the other. one particular play, he had the ball and was running towards me. i expected him to be elusive but that was not jon's style. as i saw him approach, it became apparent that he was just going to try to run over me. there was a collision , we both wound up on the ground, but when we got up and i saw him laughing, i laughed as well and a friendship was born. it was much the same in basketball when jon and benet both practiced "football" at the same time they were playing on the basketball court. i always had a great deal of respect for him, enjoyed his quick smile and was not surprised at all about what a successful life he had. RIP my friend.

Steven Wasserman

And then there was the Morningside varsity basketball game and we drove in Jonny's Dodge charger. I think we won and then getting back in the car which was parked on the street, some guys tried to jump us. We circled together to rumble and then they pulled a knife.  You don't bring words and fists to a knife fight so we jumped into the Charger and laid rubber. 😂

Alan Schulman

I was so sorry to hear this. Even though he and I were not especially close, we shared a lot of the same friends. As we get on in years news like this hits us in different ways now. It brings back memories and reminds me how connected we all were, even when life moved us in so many different directions. 

My heart goes out to his entire family and all our friends who knew and loved him. Thankfully. he's now at rest and in a better place.....RIP Jon......

Lindsay Wellman

I regret I will not be able to attend Jon's celebration of Life. I would like to share all my stories of Jon should you ask. But this Dodge Charger reference keeps coming up so here is my dictated story.

In summer 1970 on our way back from Boulder to LA, Jon was driving his Dodge Charger with me in the passenger seat with all of our Boulder belongings packed tight in the Charger.        It  was approximately 2 AM on our straight through 20 hour drive.  Jon's Dodge Charger in avoidance of something flipped over sideways and then over front to back 8 to 10 times in the middle of the Nevada desert 60 miles west of Elko, Nevada. Truly, it was a miracle of life because both Jon and I survived. Jon was severely lacerated and remained in the car while I was thrown out of the car because I didn't and wasn't wearing a seatbelt and was asleep at the time. Miraculously, I laid in the dirt of the Nevada desert  in semi shock and unconsciousness.  I was approached by a man with a flashlight.  I looked up and saw Jon being dragged out of the car that was on its rooftop upside down.  He was bleeding and being helped by another man with a flashlight. The story goes on and on about how these two men with flashlights were angels sent to protect us. Somehow, this story was written by me and still existed in my story files for me to publish at a later date.  It was more to keep as a memory of how sometimes the mystical is always in our lives. Jon was truly my mystical soulmate so to speak.  We faced all kinds of accidental and mysterious things in this life.

 We will and shall be forever linked in friendship from the Dodge Charger Miracle.

Excuse me for any grammar errors here as I am just free flow dictating. I wanted to share this story in reaction to the reference postings regarding the Dodge Charger. It was silver and black and was purchased by Jon's dad Marvin as a birthday gift for Jon. It was a really sharpcar…unfortunately it did not survive the flip in the desert of Nevada in 1970…but we did. Thanks to angels. I have no idea what our lives might have been without him. It was a Wonderful Life.

Jon lived an astounding life full of love and blessings of family for many years, cherished by those he touched. He has shined his angel light on many.