Jonny's good friend, Andrew Swindle, took his own life in August. September 19, 2025, was Andrew's birthday. Andrew's father, Art Swindle, hosted a Celebration of Life for Andrew that day at Salt Lake's Cottonwood Country Club.
Andrew was remembered as a fun-loving guy, great at sports like skiing and fly-fishing, and a loyal friend.
He was also a devoted father to his son and daughter.
A huge crowd gathered at the country club to honor Andrew and to support his father, Art Swindle, who was a beloved employee at the University of Utah for a generation.
Andrew was a member of Jonny's group of high school friends, who have stayed close for more than twenty years. Blake Drury, another member of Jonny's group and Andrew's closest friend, was master of ceremonies at Andrew's Celebration of Life. Blake emphasized the joyous parts of Andrew's life, although other speakers hinted at the many dark, painful events that Andrew had also endured.
Several months before his death, Andrew had asked Blake, a talented pianist, to learn a piece with lyrics comparing life and death. Blake asked Jonny to sing that song at Andrew's Celebration of Life, as Andrew played the accompaniment.
Dave and I never thought of Jonny as a vocal soloist, and we were, frankly, terrified, when we saw his name on the program as singing a solo before some 500 to 1000 people. "Blake asked me and so, of course, I said yes," Jonny explained. Jonny sang beautifully. We were both touched and proud that Jonny was so willing to honor his friend.
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