On Sunday, sports and pop culture website The Ringer announced the death of writer Jonathan Tjarks, 35. A basketball writer and host of The Ringer NBA Show, Tjarks passed away at home after battling a rare form of cancer.
The Ringer published a moving tribute to one of their “beloved friend and colleague”, who was among the site’s first staff members.
Tjarks is survived by his wife, Melissa, and their son, Jackson.
As friends, family, colleagues, and readers mourn Tjarks’ passing, here is what you need to know about the late sportswriter.
RIP Jonathan Tjarks: The Ringer writer passes away, age 35
On Sunday, September 11th, sports and pop culture site The Ringer published a moving tribute to longtime writer, Jonathan Tjarks, whose death dealt an “incalculable” loss to the team.
Tjarks, The Ringer writes, passed away Saturday night, after entering hospice care at the end of August. “He was one of the first people hired at The Ringer when we began the company, and was one of our most steadfast voices over the years,” the message continues.
The writer’s wife, Melissa, first announced his death on their Caring Bridge page, where she regularly posted updates throughout her husband’s illness. Published on Sunday, the penultimate update reads: “Jon passed away in my arms around 7:50 pm yesterday evening. He had a love-filled day surrounded by family and his two best friends. We shared our favorite Jon stories, laughed, cried, and caught the last few seconds of the UT football game.”
“Jon fought cancer so hard,” Melissa’s message adds, “but more importantly, Jon lived his life so well. We are so proud of him, and know God is even more proud.”
In the latest update, details about his “end of life celebration” are provided, along with a humorous anecdote on how Tjarks had imagined the event. “Jon always joked that a “celebration of life” sounded a little corny. When I explained what it was, he said that’s what he wanted.”
Guests are advised to wear blue (Tjarks’ favorite color) or Mavs gear, though the writer thought the event “seems a little more serious than that.”
A GoFundMe page was set up to help the family through this difficult time.
Celebrating Jonathan Tjarks’ life and career
His writer’s bio on The Ringer lists Jonathan Tjarks, 35, as a basketball writer and host on The Ringer NBA Show. “He loves Jesus and Dallas, in that order,” the bio adds. “Texas Forever.”
Born and raised in Texas, Tjarks graduated with an Honors BA in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2009. While still a student, he started his journalism career by interning at the Dallas Morning News and later becoming an arts and entertainment contributor for the Austin American-Statesman.
He is survived by his wife Melissa and their son, Jackson, whom the couple welcomed in March 2020.
Tjarks and Melissa are both religious and he often wrote and spoke about his faith in podcast interviews and on his personal blog, which mainly focused on the books of the Bible.
In a 2020 interview, Tjarks admitted he did not grow up religious, but in a “pretty secular” family and a “science-first household”. Around 2014, however, he “kind of had this spiritual experience.”
While dancing “at a New Year’s Eve rave” with an image of the iconic V For Vendetta mask projected on the stage background, he said he “freaked out and thought if there are spirits in the world, there’s probably God. And if there’s a God, then I better be on his side, and I better be a Christian.”
After that experience, Tjarks’ faith became an important part of his work and day-to-day life. He began attending church and joined a life group, where he made lasting friendships.
The Ringer’s Tjarks wrote candidly about his health journey
In May 2021, Tjarks wrote on The Ringer about having been diagnosed with a sarcoma, a rare kind of tumor most commonly found in kids and teens. His cancer had already spread to different parts of his body and survival odds for his particular cancer ranged between 27 to 39 per cent.
“It wasn’t just that I could die. It’s that I probably would,” he wrote, with aching clarity.
In March 2022, Tjarks published a second essay about coming to terms with his cancer diagnosis, his treatment, and his thoughts on family and the future. Titled, Does My Son Know You?, the piece especially focussed on the writer’s hope for his two-year-old son, Jackson.
Waiting in the wings in between treatments and scans, Tjarks wrote, “leaves you with a lot of time to think. I usually end up thinking about my son.”
Tjarks also revealed his father was largely absent during his own upbringing, due to an early Parkinson’s diagnosis which left him wheelchair-bound by the time Tjarks was only 12. “I had to figure it all out on my own. Now it looks like my son might have to do the same. It was the one thing that I never wanted for him.”
His wife also published frequent updates on The Ringer writer’s health, sharing treatment milestones, test results and, more recently, Tjarks’ move to hospice care as his illness entered its terminal phase.
As news of the writer’s death spreads, The Ringer readers, along with colleagues, friends and family, are sharing their condolences across social media.
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