Remembering John Von Kannon

John von Kannon served on the Donors Capital Fund board of directors for many years.  On September 5, 2015, after a brave fight, John lost his battle with cancer.

John was an elder statesmen among conservative organizations, and an important role model and mentor to development officers and fundraisers throughout the liberty movement.  His career is defined by his success in building an exceptional fundraising department at the Heritage Foundation.  He is also known for his service to the Pacific Legal Foundation and as a founder of The American Spectator, a conservative journal of opinion and commentary. 

Adam Meyerson, chairman of Donors Capital Fund, shared the news with the Fund's board of directors with the following statement, which recalls the important friendship John had with DonorsTrust's president Whitney Ball and our chairman Kim Dennis.  Whitney also recently lost her battle with cancer, and the two encouraged each other through the trials of fighting the disease, just as they had long relied on each other's advice, wisdom, and support.

In case you haven’t heard, I am sorry to report that our dear friend and fellow board member John Von Kannon passed away yesterday evening at home with his family after a difficult battle with metastatic lung cancer.

One of Whitney’s last acts before her death was to sit for a photo with Kim and a sign saying “We Love You Baron.” Kim gave John that photo a few days later, when she and I visited him at his home where he was receiving hospice treatment. Kim and I were fortunate to spend an hour and a half with John. He was in cheerful spirits, telling jokes, reminiscing about old times, and sharing wisdom about the future of conservatism, philanthropy, and DonorsTrust/Donors Capital Fund. We were told by other visitors that he kept the photo of Whitney and Kim by his bedside.   

John was a long-time active board member at DCF, and he always enriched our deliberations with his humor, wisdom, and principled commitment to freedom.

John is survived by his wife Cindy and their two teenage children, Rachel and Jack. Here is a lovely memorial to John on the Heritage Foundation website: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2015/09/jvk-memorium

Our thoughts are with Cindy and their family.