Chandler "CJ" Jonathan Ketner

Chandler Jonathan (CJ) Ketner, 67, of Indianapolis, Indiana passed away November 11, 2026 at his home on Sweetwater Lake in Nineveh. He was born November 5, 1959, in Indianapolis as the only son of Jonathan E. and Sara L. Ketner. Throughout his childhood, he spent time with his sisters and many cousins at the family farm in Columbus, Indiana. He attended Broad Ripple High School and played football for the Ripple Rockets. After high school, CJ attended Ball State University, where he pledged the Delta Chi fraternity and made some of his lifelong friends. It was also during this time that he met Sharon Kay McCoy, who would be the love of his life. In 1985, they married at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. Their love grew into a strong, long-lasting marriage of 41 years.

CJ held many different jobs throughout his life. He began in customer service and trade skills—working as a menswear associate at W.H. Block's department store, a signage engraver, a TV cable installer, and a licensed lawn care tech—and later became an entrepreneur by launching his own lawn care business. Ultimately, his primary career was in commercial construction, where he specialized in installing and maintaining raised access flooring to meet the growing demands of modern data centers. He was a tremendous handyman and do-it-yourselfer.

CJ was the proud father of triplets: Kelli, Danielle, and Tony. During their early years, he was a primary caregiver, working as a stay-at-home dad several days a week. When the triplets were 18 months old, the family moved from Broad Ripple to Pike Township, making it their home for the next 22 years. CJ took immense pride in his family, embracing the joyful whirlwind that came with raising three at once. He was a constant, supportive anchor in their lives, offering the kind of quiet, reliable love that simply made sure his kids always knew he was in their corner. In 2023, he became a grandfather, and lovingly chose for his grandkids to refer to him simply as, “G.” He also had a lifelong affinity for German Shepherds, and treasured the companionship of his three beloved females over the years: Dammit, Echo, and Hilly.

In late 2019, CJ was diagnosed with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), a rare and under-researched variant of dementia and early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Determined to make a difference, he participated in a three-year Eli Lilly clinical trial for donanemab after his neurologist advocated for his inclusion. The trial was a success, leading to FDA approval in 2024. Though not a cure, it granted CJ more cherished time with his loved ones.

In the last decade of his life, CJ and Sharon traveled together regularly and enjoyed several cruises together - and with friends - as their preferred mode of vacationing. An ideal destination for him included being somewhere warm and sunny, beachside, with a drink in one hand and his wife’s hand in the other. When not traveling, he spent many wonderful days at home at Sweetwater Lake, swimming and boating with his family.

CJ will be fondly remembered for his mischievous and unapologetic sense of humor. He possessed an unfiltered, lightning-fast wit—a rare gift that few could match and no one could duplicate. Never one to take life too seriously, he wasn’t afraid to push boundaries, crack a slightly bawdy joke, or lovingly tease those he held closest.

CJ is survived by his loving wife, Sharon, of Nineveh; three children, Kelli Ketner of Greenwood, IN, Danielle (Joseph) Buschur of Greenwood, IN, and Anthony (Julia) Ketner of Indianapolis, IN; sisters, Nanci K. Patterson and Amy L. (Robert) Gunn, both of Indianapolis; grandchildren, Isabella and Rosalina Buschur, and Forrest and Luca Ketner. CJ is also survived by a cherished circle of cousins and extended family, fraternity brothers, and friends.

His parents and one son, Robert Chandler Ketner, preceded him in death.

Visitation will be held at Myers-Reed Chapel in Columbus, IN on Thursday, November 19, 2026 from 4:00pm-7:00pm. A memorial service will follow beginning at 7:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, CJ’s family would like to encourage memorial contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 50 E. 91st Street, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46240 or www.alz.org/indiana.

Please leave a fond memory of CJ at www.Myers-Reed.com.