Memories of John
John Paul Kundra was always the life of the party. I first met John in Jr. High when I moved to the D/FW area and we bonded over our shared love of video games, cartoons, and Pro Wrestling. We became fast friends with our only divergence in high school being when John joined the Choir and I joined the marching band. "Choir people perform indoors and I'm not the marching type," he told me. Eventually, John started staying over at my place more often than he was at home and we decided he should just move in instead of staying at an apartment mostly by himself that he had to help pay for. John stayed in college much longer than I did and even though he didn't finish at his first run, he went back and got his degree and proudly kept forging forward to find the best Masters Program he could. John loved helping people. Whether it was just a ride for a friend, part of his job, or the hundreds of unsolicited calls and texts his friends got whenever he was bored. His sense of humor was the best. In the greatest prank I've ever been a part of, John convinced me to unknowingly purchase my senior wardrobe from the new FUBU clothing line which everyone at school found hilarious. John was always thinking of others. He was a people person through and through. Always checking in to see how everyone was and needing to make sure that those in his life he cared about were ok and thriving even if he had just spoken to them a day or two prior. Though I loathed actually talking on the phone, now I miss those calls even more than I thought I hated them. John will always have a special place in my heart and I will never forget how he helped me become the person I am today. I can only hope that he has all the fellowship he needs now that he's moved on from this life.
-Mike Craft
My first memory of John was on the school bus going to Eureka (gifted & talented program) in elementary school. I specifically remember he was wearing a 106.1 KISS FM t-shirt. At the time, I had no idea about the severe struggles he faced in his home life. We also attended the same junior high and high school and had some mutual friends over the years. We became much closer during our "Denton Days" in our early 20's. As adults, John had his personal ups and downs, but his perseverance was unstoppable. His accomplishments, despite the obstacles he overcome to achieve them, were truly inspiring. He was a social butterfly who maintained countless circles of friends. He was always smiling and kept a positive outlook, even when he was facing adversity of his own. John's friends were his family. Within the last few years, my husband and I both considered him to be one of our very best friends. The amount of phone calls that were exchanged between us was ridiculous. He was definitely a talker! He would refer to me as Curly Sue, Teach, and Sister. Every phone call with John ended with "I love you." I still kind of expect to see his name pop up on my phone again. The sudden loss of John has greatly impacted me and the people closest to him. His hopeful energy improved the lives of others and he positively affected causes he cared about most. In an effort to keep his memory alive, we plan to make donations to others who have experienced similar circumstances as John did in his early life. We hope to honor him in a way that would make him proud. Everyone should strive to be a friend like John.
-Shannon Everett