Latest / Podcasts By Donna Jodhan / Remarkable World Commentary Episode #68: Remembering John Panarese | Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA

Transcript

Remarkable World Commentary Episode #68: Remembering John Panarese | Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA · Podcasts By Donna Jodhan

• 0:13
  Podcast Commentator: Greetings. Donna J Jodhan, LLB, ACSP and MBA,
• 0:19
  invites you to listen to her biweekly podcast,
• 0:22
  Remarkable World Commentary.
• 0:24
  Here, Donna shares some of her innermost thoughts,
• 0:27
  insights, perspectives, and more with her listeners.
• 0:31
  Donna focuses on topics that directly affect the future of kids,
• 0:35
  especially kids with disabilities.
• 0:38
  Donna is a blind advocate, author, site loss coach,
• 0:42
  dinner mystery producer, writer, entrepreneur,
• 0:46
  law graduate, and podcast commentator.
• 0:49
  She has decades of lived experiences, knowledge,
• 0:53
  skills, and expertise in access technology and information.
• 0:58
  As someone who has been internationally recognized for her work and roles.
• 1:02
  She just wants to make things better than possible.
• 1:07
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Hello, everybody. And I'm Donna J.
• 1:10
  Jodhan, your host for the December 2025 Remarkable World commentary,
• 1:20
  where I have the opportunity to really sit here and tell you what's on my mind.
• 1:27
  And for this episode of Remarkable World Commentary,
• 1:32
  I'd like to take a few minutes to remember my dear friend,
• 1:36
  my mentor, my associate, my coach.
• 1:40
  I used to call him Coach John Panarese.
• 1:45
  I can't believe that it is a year ago since our John passed on and he went so quickly and
• 1:53
  he went in style. But this is what I would say.
• 1:58
  I remember so well last year when John and I had gotten together to start a project which
• 2:06
  we would designate as transitioning to a new world where we would be engaged in coaching
• 2:16
  others as to how to use their I devices.
• 2:21
  And John developed a marvelous template for me to follow.
• 2:29
  I think it was in June or July.
• 2:30
  John came up with this idea.
• 2:33
  June of 20, 24, or maybe July.
• 2:37
  It wasn't necessarily just transitioning to a new world.
• 2:40
  It was all about bringing instructors and students together,
• 2:46
  and we came up with ideas as to how to do it.
• 2:51
  John was so full of life, but I knew then that John was seriously ill,
• 2:58
  battling cancer. John never complained, but he kept telling me that he would beat it.
• 3:06
  And you know what? I believed it, I believed that John would beat it.
• 3:12
  But a few months later, when he wrote to me saying,
• 3:15
  Donna, I have to withdraw from our project because the doctor has not given me much time
• 3:22
  to live. It struck me like an arrow to my heart.
• 3:28
  I couldn't believe it.
• 3:30
  Reading this, I tried to call and I tried to talk with him,
• 3:35
  but John was too far gone by then.
• 3:38
  John was on his way to heaven.
• 3:41
  John was leaving us, and I knew then that I had to pick up the mantle that John had.
• 3:50
  You know, I'm not sure what word to use, but John had specified for me,
• 3:54
  and he made me promise him that I would continue with this project.
• 4:00
  And although that it is a bit slow.
• 4:04
  We're getting there. I have contacted Craig Cohen,
• 4:09
  John's former associate with Apple, and Craig has also brought in Ben Levy and we
• 4:17
  will continue this project in John's name.
• 4:22
  The Vision Tech Academy, and I want to thank my friend Aaron Di Blasi
• 4:28
  for having helped to develop this wonderful, wonderful website and my other associate,
• 4:35
  Leo Bissonette, for agreeing to work with us on it.
• 4:41
  John was a giant and so much more.
• 4:47
  A year has gone by and what have I done to honor your memory?
• 4:53
  As I said, I have set up the Vision Tech Academy in your name.
• 5:00
  I'm working now with Craig Cohen and Ben Levy to honor your wishes,
• 5:07
  but you will always be missed.
• 5:10
  My dear John, my coach, my mentor.
• 5:15
  Your unique voice, filled with warm and warmth and overflowing with generosity.
• 5:24
  Thank you, John, for all you've done for me.
• 5:28
  And I promise you from the bottom of my heart,
• 5:32
  I will make sure that this project never dies.
• 5:37
  Take care, John, and save a place for me at your table.
• 5:43
  Until we meet again.
• 5:47
  Podcast Commentator: Donna wants to hear from you and invites you to write to her at Donna gmail.com.
• 5:54
  Until next time.