It is with great sadness that a beloved Brattleboro resident has passed away.
Johnny "K." Kitanoja was a kind and friendly guy with a warm heart and great spirit. He was a skilled carpenter that many people went to and was always willing to lend his services for friends, family, and worthy causes. He loved radio free brattleboro and played a major role in WVEW's re-construction efforts. He had a regular online column called "Just Joe," offering humourous musings on life, sports, and politics and Johnny K and an iBrattleboro registered user who made frequent visits to this site. And that was where I got a chance to meet him.
I am an avid fan of fantasy sports and when Johnny K. put up an announcement asking for more players to join his fantasy baseball/football leagues he (and his brothers) welcomed me with open arms and filled the void in my life I was missing ... fantasy sports.
I am grateful for having the chance to know Johnny K. and I know many other folks got to know him well over the years like Selector D, Sproutie, T. Namaya, larrybloch, and more. He was a good friend with all of us and I'm sure we all have some stories to share.
Johnny K leaves behind his wife Eileen, his sister Chris, his brothers (not sure how many he had) and his nine year old son Dante. A college fund for Dante has been set up for him by family and friends and if you want to contribute send it to:
Dante Kitanoja Trust Fund: Cheque payable to - College America & AC 82440356. Dante Kitanoja on the memo line: Send to Smith Barney/ Citigroup: C/o Scott W. McDermott: 9411 Main Street Suite #100; Manassas, VA 20110
Thanks for everything Johnny K... you'll be missed.