To the Bright Family,
I know Coach Skilling would be proud of John and all of his accomplishments after his days as a Marion Indian. John was a champion from a young age, as seen in this 1981 WAMAC Conference Track and Field Champions plaque. 

Please accept our most heartfelt condolences.
                                  The Skilling family 

Very sorry to hear about the passing of John. May he Rest In Peace. 

We will cherish the memories of laughter and fun that John gave to us.  John was a special person with a big heart.  The world needs more John Brights.  He will be deeply missed by many.  We send our love and deepest sympathy.  Brenda Pickett and Alex Orr.

I met John through Ana my friend and neighbor. He was truly a loving, kind soul. I could tell by his interaction with Ana and the girls that he was crazy about them all. My heart is hurting for the family. May God’s peace be upon you and bring you comfort when needed most. 

John had a passion for helping kids and their families. He was the type of person who didn’t approach his work as a job, but as a calling to help others. When I think of the phrase, servant leader, I think of John. He was never one to draw attention to his many good deeds, but instead wanted the focus on making life better for those in need. 

To John’s family, I am so sorry for your loss. He truly made the world a better place. 

My Condolences to John's family, parents, friends, and co-workers on the sudden passing of "Mister Bright" as my kids called him. They also called him Mr. Batman as they would always head to his office once at the TAC Building. My Name is Ibrahima Diop, and I worked with John for many years at OPS/Title 1. John introduced me to Golfing and Harley Davidsons. As an immigrant, John always knew and understood me. I now live in Minneapolis and the sad news of the passing; this past Saturday of my Friend John Bright is very hard for my family and me. John Bright's heart is what is in very short supply in the World today. The World lost a CHAMPION!
Sincerely,
Ibrahima Diop
Chief of Finance and Operations, Minneapolis Public Schools

Mr. Rogers always said,  “Look for the helpers.” I was fortunate enough to find John and was he ever a helper!!! OPS and the Omaha community were so blessed to have him. He helped so many and was a fierce advocate. I am forever grateful for his hard work and compassion. 

For years John’s OPS emails ended with the Helen Keller quote “One can never consent to creep when one feels the compulsion to soar”.
There are people who touch your life & you remember exactly the first time you meet them. The first time I met John in person was on a hot summer day. He was in the back of a large truck, with his shirt sleeves rolled up, passing out boxes of backpacks and school supplies for the children in the Homeless Education Program. Every year he made sure that our children had supplies, even when donations were basically unavailable.
On behalf of NE Family Works staff, parents & especially our children we offer sincere sympathy & heartfelt thanks for his years of service. 

As many have already said - John was an inspiration. His dedication and willingness to do anything in his power to help others was more than admirable. May a little bit of John stay in each of our hearts as we continue on. 

John was definitely a superhero to me and the many families he helped during his career at OPS. He was so dedicated. John will be missed. His family is in my thoughts and prayers.

We were so fortunate to have had someone like John who cared deeply and advocated tremendously for our students, especially our students experiencing homelessness. This is such a huge loss to our community. 

I received a very sweet email from John prior to my retirement the end of November last year. He was very complimentary towards me.  He was a wealth of knowledge to me.  A great asset to OPS. 

He helped me time and time again. If he was unavailable, I always left a message and he was quick to respond. 

May God be with his family and friends during this difficult time. My thoughts and prayers are with you all from my new home in Indiana. 

Love, 
Melanie Liekhus

John and I were best buddies during our elementary and middle-school years. I have countless memories of being at his house and playing and watching football together. I will never forget those times. Very sad to hear the news.

Grant Brodrecht, Winter Park, FL

John was a shining star. Whenever I had a question or needed advice regarding our work, he was my go-to guy. He always did what was best for kids and families and I admired him so much. I am so sorry for your loss. 
Diane Bruha, Director of Federal Programs, Crete

John - remembering you fondly and honoring all the work you did on behalf of Nebraska's children and youth experiencing homelessness.
May you rest in peace,
Christina Dukes

John was such an amazing advocate for our students and their families in OPS!  He was definitely "One in a Million"!  John's heart of gold made an impact on many people!  He will be greatly missed not only in OPS but the entire community!   

OPS students facing homelessness had no better advocate that John. We worked with him for the past several years via our transportation partnership with the district. John new what each family needed, stuck with them as they experienced transitions and challenges, and always kept their best interests at the forefront. He led with compassion and a strong sense of justice, and his intense focus on the young people he served never wavered. 

My deepest sympathy to the family of John Bright. I remember John with fond memories of our working together for the Omaha Public Schools Title 1 Program. I will always think of you and Batman. Rest in peace my forever friend!

Sorry for the loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. We were neighbors when we were a lot younger. We grew up together, since I was the youngest of the neighborhood kids I wanted to hang out with them. I remember one time John and his friend let me and my friend play football. And I was on his team, John threw the football and I caught it and made a touchdown and John and I won the game. He was a good guy. I just can’t believe he is gone.

Please accept my deepest sympathies on the loss of John.  I know he is a legend in OPS, but he is also a legend in all metro area school districts.  John's quick thinking, compassion and immeasurable knowledge of options, choices, strategies, helped countless families not only in OPS, but Ralston School district where I work.  What an incredible human being.  His reach was far and he will be missed by me and so many others.

I met John on my first day at OPS and he was a huge help to me during that first year while I learned how everything worked. Myself and others have expressed how John went above and beyond for our students and families. The truth is, “above and beyond” was the norm for John and we can all aspire to be more like him in our work. He treated everyone with dignity and respect. It was an honor to work with him and learn from his example of service. John’s family and friends are in my prayers as they grieve this unimaginable loss. 

John was one of the easiest people to work with. Kind. Compassionate. Caring. Helpful. Willing to go above and beyond to help kids stay in school. Myself and team worked with John for 10 years and we enjoyed every minute of it. He had all of the answers!  He never once was a roadblock to getting transportation setup - in fact he went out of his way to get things setup as quickly as possible. He will be greatly missed. This is a devastating loss to our community and the young people & families who are experiencing homelessness. Lifting his family and friends in prayer. 

John was a huge asset to the Omaha community and OPS families. We only worked together for a short time, and I feel lucky to have known him and learned from him. He will be greatly missed by so many,  he was such a passionate advocate for students and made a difficult time for them a little easier. My condolences to his family and friends. 

I first met John when I worked at a local homeless shelter.  For almost seven years, John and I built an amazing working relationship and he was a powerful advocate for our children and families in the shelter.  He worked tirelessly to make sure our kids had transportation to and from school, had access to tutoring services and were immediately put on free lunch.  Words cannot express how much stress this took off the parents when they realized they wouldn't have to worry about these things.  John made a huge impact in the lives of the children and their parents.  After I moved on to another job, I would swing by to say hello at his work whenever I was in the neighborhood.  His batman-themed cubicle was EPIC and throughout were photos and notes from children and families he had helped.  I'm grateful to have met John. His loss will be greatly felt in the community. 

My deepest condolences to John’s family, friends, and coworkers… he was such a wonderful soul. I was blessed to call on him for many years when I had families in need of help. He was always there, treated everyone with dignity, and his work was a work from the heart. He will be greatly missed. 

It was my privilege to work with John in Title I for the brief year I spent in that department.  He truly was one of the best human beings I've had the pleasure of knowing in my life.  He was efficient and effective in his work.  As Kelly mentioned, he was a deep thinker and when conversing with John, he would be fully committed to the moment.  He lived life intentionally and shared his love for others by going out of his way for his family and friends.  He was perfect in his role in Title I, as he was able to devote his efforts to helping our OPS students in need.  Many times, I know he used money out of his own pocket to buy families pizza dinners when he'd go on "home" visits.  A stand up guy, my life is forever blessed to have known and worked with John.  My thoughts are with John's family and friends...may perpetual light shine upon him.  

I had the pleasure of working with John over the last 15 years and he was one of the most kind and incredible people on this planet. His care of children and families was more than a job. He was solidly in the corner for our students.  My heart is broken for his family and dearest friends. I know that the world was made better by his presence.  May your memory be forever a blessing, John.   Toba Cohen-Dunning 

 “People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy and I can’t do that as Bruce Wayne.”

John was definitely a dramatic example of someone who cared deeply about people.  Each one of the thousands of children he helped over the years had a place in his heart, and it was not rare to see him shed tears after hearing their stories. He was a deep thinker who often pushed me to stop living life on the surface. So many times we would sit in his office long after the work day was over, surrounded by everything Batman, and talk about the mysteries of life, sharing both laughter and tears.  He loved to see kids faces light up when they saw him as Batman, and he loved being “Grandpa Batman” to his grandkids. John, I miss you dearly, my friend. Rest in blessed peace. 

I was a participating costumer with John in his last moments.  He was in great spirits and was loving life to the very end. He was interacting and was having a wonderful time uplifting the spirits of others and making entire families smile as they took pictures with him. He was a truly outstanding person and it was a pleasure to know and participate in costume events with him.  John is and shall ever be missed. His incredibly positive impact on the community and those of the people who knew him is a massive loss that cannot be replaced. God speed John. We miss you.

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

John Joseph Bright

1 décembre 1964 – 13 août 2022

Westlawn-Hillcrest Funeral Home & Westlawn-Hillcrest Memorial Park

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