‘He had talent and tons of energy’: Artist remembered for impact on Hamilton after death at 36

A man who made a huge mark on IceFest, Operation Pumpkin and a beloved Northern Red Oak in Hamilton is being remembered as a skilled artist who loved his work.

Jonathon Michael died Sept. 8 at age 36. He was a master carver of ice and many other mediums, including pumpkins and trees. He carved two trees in Hamilton, one in Millikin Woods, and another near the historic log cabin and the Soldiers, Sailors and Pioneers monument downtown.

“He was a big part of Artic Diamond (Ice Sculptures, a company that makes sculptures),” said Taylor Welch, who is with the non-profit organization City of Sculpture, which hosts IceFest, which happens every other winter. “Those guys, they carved ice for IceFest, but they also carved pumpkins at Operation Pumpkin, and trees.”

With the downtown tree that had been damaged and had to be cut down, he created benches, decorated with shapes of a tree and a large wave and smaller rapids, echoing the nearby Great Miami River.

“I’ve been part of IceFest for the past three events, but John was a part of IceFest way before I came into the picture,” Welch said. “He was always the one who carved, when we did the media event, the week before, he would carve the Miami logo, or the spaceship, or whatever we were doing that day. I think he carved the majority of sculptures for IceFest.”

“He was a workhorse,” Welch said. “He had talent, and tons of energy. You could tell he enjoyed it, and was having fun. I think he always liked being a part of IceFest.”

While his official last name was Michael, he often went by Michaels because he believed that last name was less confusing for people because it didn’t sound like a first name. But, he told the Journal-News in 2018, his use of that name irked some family members. He also was a tattoo artist and loved his children, motorcycles and outdoor activities.

In addition to his carving skills — which often happened with chainsaws, but also with many other tools — he also was a tattoo artist and loved his children, motorcycles and outdoor activities.

His visitation was held Friday at Rodenberger-Gray Funeral Home in Napoleon, Ohio, southwest of Toledo, where he was born Jan. 4, 1983 to Ronald Lee Michael and Tammie Kristek.

He is survived by four children: Austin and Kalynn of Cincinnati, and Peyton and Zaiden of Dayton, as well as his fiance, Keisha Markins, and stepdaughter-to-be, Taytum Markins of Cincinnati.

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