Thank you to those who were able to be with us at the service on November 4th – it was a blessing and privilege to have you there with us. Below is video and picture content from the service.
Also, see the Drawn Home and Beautiful Nature posts.

Kevin & Kylie Dailey singing in Jonathan’s honor:

Kevin & Kylie from Bruce Dailey on Vimeo.

Don Potter’s spontaneous song about Jonathan’s journey:

Don Potter’s spontaneous song from Bruce Dailey on Vimeo.

John Tracy and Rick Joyner speaking and praying: 

John Tracy and Rick Joyner from Bruce Dailey on Vimeo.

A picture of dinner (on “Main Street”), after the service:

The fireworks tribute to Jon later that night by Kevin & Jon’s friends:

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The memorial service and celebration to honor Jonathan was Sunday, November 4^th 2012 at Morningstar Fellowship Church, 375 Star Light Drive, Fort Mill, SC. Jonathan’s Eagle Scout project from 2007, a pergola, is right outside the entrance. After a short service, we had a massive potluck dinner. Everything was informal, just as Jon would have wanted it.

Donations:
> In lieu of flowers, please donate to LostNMissing (501c3 nonprofit): www.lostnmissing.com

Oh Jon, I so wanted to watch you journey through a much longer life: to see you marry the woman God chose for you, to hold your children, to celebrate your destiny and life’s work, to laugh together with our seemingly amazing sense of humor, to enjoy our relationship as father & son also became close friends.

Jon, I would have gladly traded my life to preserve your life here on earth.

There’s a photograph of you in my arms at the hospital the day you were born. I imagine myself saying something like: “Hi there, Jonathan Matthew Dailey, welcome to our family…you’re our little guy, and we love you!” We were so glad you were born after such a precarious pregnancy and birthing. I never, ever thought I would also be the one to deal with the details of your death, and as such a young man – I thought you, your brother and sister together would be here to mourn my death.

Jon, I cherish the memory of sitting at the piano, with you standing by my side playing your violin! We played together for hundreds of hours, reading from the same music stand, practicing your audition material and pieces for performance. I think my favorites to play were the many tunes I charted for the two of us, chosen because of how much we both loved the music.

I’m so thankful for those last few days we enjoyed in Boston together at the end of September: walking and driving all around the city, laughing, eating, cooking, talking about 2012 and pondering the future, praying together, going to the studio, listening to music, watching a movie, discussing books, pondering dreams – I’ll treasure that visit for the rest of my life.

Thoughts and memories about Jonathan:

Jon, our friendship will go down in the history books as the greatest ever! I will always love you! Your brother,
- Jake Polly

It wasn’t all that long ago that I was nearly living at your house hanging out with Jonathan. So many good memories I could tell in detail about him and how he was a big contributor in making me who I am today. He was so mature, and a natural leader for me, always steering me away from the bad and towards the good. So intelligent. I loved him to the same degree that I love my only sibling Robert.
- Jarrett Johnson

- Brandon

Jon was my Peter Pan, making me braver, helping me fly.
- Jessie Stafford (of Art Society fame)

Jonathan gave me an example of someone who could be himself, live with higher standards, pursue success and still connect with people whose vision or standards were not as high as his own. Since he was four years older than me, he gave me an example I could follow – along that same path. It has made my life and journey much easier.
- JT

…we played in the orchestra at App State together for several semesters. He was always so quiet and thoughtful, sitting towards the back of the violin section…he was a kind and loving person who loved music and wanted to make a difference with his life and his music. My thoughts and prayers are with all who knew and loved him.
- Rachael

When I was eight, a young boy walked into my family’s home on Kirkpatrick Road. His hair was curly like mine, and he wore a red zipped-up wind breaker on top of an over sized t-shirt. He was smiling. My older sister explained to me that he had come over to play. He and I watched “The Iron Giant.” We laughed and sat dazzled by the metallic giant that befriended a lonely child. When the movie was over, his older sister came to fetch him. I remember after he left thinking about how unexpected his visit was, how he almost “appeared” in my young eight-year-old perspective.
He, Jonathan Dailey, became a dear friend throughout my life. He endured two proms with me, he gave me advice, he rolled his eyes at me, he painted with me, he made me go camping, he cooked food with me, he played in a band with me, he challenged me to sing what I really wanted to sing. The likelihood of me becoming a professional singer is low, but the likelihood of me needing to take risks and believe in my life is high. Jon helped me find a part of myself that I may have never found. The Jesus inside of Jonathan Dailey changed me, and tamed a part of my heart that cannot be replaced. One day, when I am an old woman, I will die, and I will see him again, and he will tell me of all the things he’s done and seen, and I will tell him of the family I built and loved, and we will laugh and sit dazzled by the goodness of God.
- Justina Brinkley (also in Art Society)

Tribute to my friend Jonathan Dailey! He loved Vanilla Coke and we used to drink it all the time as kids so here’s to you buddy! I poured a sip out for you! Love and miss you forever!
- Jake Polly, February 2014

Those who we love that have gone before us are always looking down upon us. So JMD I know you can see me writing this. I love you very much. The times we shared and the things we talked about are constantly in my head. You speak to me in my dreams and I carry you with me in my everyday life.
- Jake Polly, February 2014