In the early hours of Saturday, November 16th, 2024, Jon Cleghorn lost his battle with cancer at the age of 56.
Jon was born in Manteca, CA and attended Sequoia Elementary and Manteca High School, graduating in 1986. He continued his education at San Jose State University where he received a Masters degree in Industrial Arts and Design. After college Jon interned with General Motors in Detroit, Michigan for automobile design.
Jon was a dedicated employee of California Natural Products (CNP) in Lathrop for 27 years. In his position as Maintenance Planner he traveled to Spain to compose an industrial parts maintenance manual for CNP’s automated warehouse equipment sold in Europe. Jon was a kind and compassionate soul. Animals, and cats in particular, held a very special place in his heart. He was known to bring abandoned animals home, where he would love them and keep them safe and healthy. Many of these animals stayed with Jon their entire lives.
Jon was also an avid car enthusiast. He was constantly picking up parts to work on his "kit" cars. Many of these items were found while exploring with his brothers Chris and Pat. He loved to do design illustrations of concept cars based on the kit cars he owned. He produced multiple variations of every car and was always happy to share his art work with you and go over all the subtle changes that he had made to each drawing. In more recent years, he merged his original drawings with AI to come up with some truly unique concept cars.
Jon and his oldest brother Chris were not just brothers, but best friends. They had many adventures together including attending the annual Turlock Swap Meet and the Half Moon Bay show at the airport each year. Jon had a passion for airplanes, cars, motorcycles, tractors, trains, and almost anything that moved. He and Chris flew together in an antique Ford TriMotor at NutTree Airport in Vacaville and rode the trains in Jamestown. Together they took many a road trip and visited places and events throughout California, including RailTown1897, the State Railroad Museum, Golden Gate Live Steamers, Sacramento Valley Live Steamers, Hillcrest & Wahtoke Railroad, and the Redwood Valley Railroad Park in the Berkeley hills. From the coastal waters of Monterey to small historic towns like Columbia in the foothills, and Yosemite National Park in the Sierras, Jon loved to explore California. He loved driving the Gold Country’s Hwy 49 route a lot, often stopping off in Jackson and Sutters Creek where he perused museums and loved learning about the history of the area. He had so many interests and was always sharing his knowledge with others.
One of Jon’s other loves was architectural design. It was common for him to watch documentaries on famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, late into the evening, then draw his own renderings of homes. There were many nights where his brother Pat and nephews would stop by to visit and Jon would invite them in for an active discussion of all things related to architecture. Jon’s love of music was known by many. He had a wonderful singing voice and although he loved all types of music, the oldies were his favorites. He truly was an old soul at heart.
As a lover of science fiction, comic books and cinema, Jon could often be found watching documentaries and mini series on television or going to the theater with his brother Chris or sister Jessica to see the latest movie. Sometimes the outing would be a family affair with his niece and many of his nephews joining in. At the holidays, he would gather with family members to talk all things Marvel and Star Wars.
Jon touched many lives and will be missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his parents, Ralph and Camilla Cleghorn, siblings Christopher, Patrick (Tracy), Deanna Maciel (Wayne), Suzanne Wells (Brian), Maria Mueller (Mike), Jessica McLeod, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by sisters Jeanette and Debra. We rejoice in the fact that he is now home with our Lord Jesus Christ. He will never be forgotten as he lives on in our hearts and our many cherished memories. We love you and will miss you always, Jon. Until we meet again.
Memorial services will be held Friday, December 6th, 2024 at Parkview Cemetary, 3661 E. French Camp Rd, Manteca. Services begin at 11:00am. Immediately following the memorial, a celebration of life will be held at Chez Shari, 305 N. Union Rd., Manteca from 12:00 p.m - 3:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, Jon would have appreciated donations to Pets and Pals. Pets and Pals Animal Shelter – Every Pet Has A Story…
Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin
Saturday, November 30, 2024
