Jack Kunkle ‘14 lost his second battle with brain cancer on Sept. 18, having first been diagnosed with the disease as a sixth grader in 2008. As a student, Jack was known for his humor, kindness and above all else, being crowned as the first ever Mr. LT.

“To me Jack wasn’t someone many people knew, but the fact that not someone as well known won [Mr. LT] speaks to how great a community LT is,” sister Leigh Kunkle ‘10 said

Last May, Jack competed alongside fellow students in a series of challenges in which boys showed off their strength and agility. Jack, a relatively small, skinny kid, stood up onstage with nothing in his hand except a blue Cubs hat and a microphone.

“[Jack taught us] that anyone can be funny, and that underdog stories are true,” Joe Dillon ’15, founder of Mr. LT said

Although the Mr. LT pageant marked the first time Jack gained school-wide recognition for his talents, it was hardly his only impact on the student body. Jack had been humoring people on and offstage since his freshman year, influencing the school as a whole, particularly in the theatre department.

“He was a perfect example of a small person being big,” Theatre Board advisor Mike Kuehl said. “He had complete control of the stage when he wanted it, but he didn’t always take it. Jack had as big of an impact as one person can have on an entity like Theatre Board; anything that he was a part of never had a down day.”

This positivity and optimistic attitude is what carried Jack through his life, and what will carry his family through their lives without him.

“Humor of everything is what made our journey with him possible and what will make our journey without him possible. I feel his presence with every joke,” sister Emily Kunkle ‘13 said.

Jack made light of situations no matter how difficult or easy they were, Leigh said.

Jack’s passing had a tumultuous effect on many, and the support and outreach of the community proves how impactful his short life was.

So many positives came from Jack being sick, and if he was not who he was, then those would not have happened, Leigh said.

“Jack not only meant a lot to us, but to the larger community as well,” father John Kunkle said. “Back in 2008, the community just rallied around us and around him, and I just got the sense that the community is as close as it was [then] and has not lost that bond around him. He had a way of touching people very deeply.”

Members of the Kunkles’ church, neighbors and classmates made countless dinners and blankets for Jack, sending messages of encouragement to keep the family’s spirits up.

“We are lucky to live in a place where people jump to action, and used whatever they had to help us,” mother Ellen Kunkle said.

To some, Jack was simply another kid in the halls, but to others, he was a Kairos leader, an improv sensation and a friend.

“He was the kind of friend that put everyone else first,” Kelly Carney ‘14 said. “Even when he was going through the worst he would always make sure everyone else was happy.”

This type of comment is not atypical coming from people who knew Jack very well or merely spoke to him in a passing conversation. An immense outpour of Facebook posts, Tweets and Instagram photos depicts the admiration much of the student body and community had for Jack.

“He was a quiet, unassuming guy until he had an audience,” Ellen said.

To see Jack’s Mr. LT interview, go to lionnewspaper.com for full coverage.