Colasteco "Jon" Cardejon

      When Colasteco "Jon" Cardejon walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Jon was and how he impacted those around him. Jon was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Jon wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Jon was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Jon was born on February 10, 1929 at At home in Hilo, Hawaii. He was the son of Jacinto and Modesta. Jon was raised in Hilo, Hawaii. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Jon might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Jon was always in pursuit of life's endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

      Jon was raised with six. He had Hannah, Merrill, DonLee, Nollette, Jared, Nephi. Jon was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Jon was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Jon well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

      As a young boy, Jon was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Jon was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. In his spare time he liked to pick pineapples,draw, swim,help his mom. Jon had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

      During his high school years, Jon responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. Jon was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Jon absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Jon, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Jon a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. His favorite class in high school was Art, woodshop.

      Jon was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Jon, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Cardejon home. Jon's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up.

      Jon was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life's possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was Engineer, Carpenter. He was employed for Warner Brothers, McDonald Douglas, Artrox Corporation. Jon was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Jon had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Jon's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

      Jon was an army Veteran. He was in the Kodac, Alaska. Jon saw action for the Korean war. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of corporal. He received several awards including a Honorable discharge. His fellow soldiers could count on him for being able to make adjustments to any situation as needed.

      Because Jon loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were wood work,dancing,magic tricks,karaoke,entertainment at Long Beach shoreline village. Jon had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Jon's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

      Because Jon was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, he always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Jon's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made him a great asset. Jon found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Jon was an active member of several community groups, serving on committees for the shoreline village every weekend for music and activities, farmers market dancing and karaoke to entertain.

      Jon was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Dogs, rufus,halfsie and bear, cats papoose, sissy, was a best friend for they were family pets and lived with other family members.

      When Jon's retirement finally came in 1994, Jon handled it the way he usually did. He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. Because he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Jon to master. His new life involved relocating to Long Beach, California. In retirement, he found new pleasure in wood work , crafts, magic tricks. Even in retirement, Jon continued to stay in touch with his old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

      Jon Cardejon passed away on April 17, 2008 at Promise Hospital, Paramount, California. Complications after removal of brain tumor. He is survived by daughter Jonal Cardejon. Services were held at Whites Funeral Home. Jon was laid to rest in cremated and ashes will be kept with daughter Jonal Cardejon.

      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Jon. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Jon Cardejon for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Jon was always more than willing to share life's experiences with his loved ones.