John "Jersey Johnny" Cimasko

John Cimasko, 70, peacefully passed at home on April 1, 2025 (April Fools’ Day!) after a long struggle with Frontotemporal Dementia.

John is survived by wife Maryanne (Hayes) Cimasko, children Jack and Jill Cimasko, siblings Athony (Resa), Stephanie (Tim) Donovan, Edward (Pam) Cimasko, and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by parents Marie (Marsden) and Casmere (Kelly) Cimasko and sister Marie (Rich) Huyet.

Born and raised in New Jersey, John was a proud Dumont Huskie class of 1973 where he played football and basketball. He then attended West Chester University and Ramapo College, where he continued playing football, and was an active member of Search for christian maturity and an original cast member of the musical Pentejoy.

John’s love for 1960’s Johnny Unitas era Baltimore Colts eventually brought John and his family to Indiana, thanks to the team’s relocation. The family arrived in Carmel October 1990 and this began John’s 28 year career with Pepsi.

John was a charter member of the Colts Thundering Herd Fan Club, and named Fan of the Year in 1990. In 1996 John’s reputation as a weekly caller to the local radio station afforded him the opportunity to sustain a 25 year radio show, The Jersey Johnny Show, on local Indianapolis stations WIBC and 1070 ESPN The Fan.

Jersey Johnny was known not only as a top notch Colts analyst and historian, but moreso for his kindness and charitable spirit. As a true humanitarian, he utilized his platform to aid the Indianapolis community through the Salvation Army Radiothon, Indy Thunder Beep Ball, and his time spent with the Little Sisters of the Poor, whether calling bingo or working the yearly golf outing. John, an avid reader and Kurt Vonnegut fan, was a charter member of the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library. He volunteered every Thanksgiving to deliver meals from various downtown churches, visited VA hospitals on Christmas Eve, and was a member of St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carmel.

While John was never an enlisted serviceman he truly honored our veterans. He did whatever possible to honor and fundraise for Gold Star Families and our beloved USS Indianapolis survivors. He was indispensably involved with Indy Honor Flight from the beginning, whether as a bus captain or clean up. This is where his heart was, never missed an opportunity to thank a veteran.

Join us for a celebration of this life well lived Saturday May 17th, 12PM - 2PM at the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library in Indianapolis. Wear Colts blue!

In lieu of flowers, in the spirit of John, please make a donation to an organization close to his heart: Little Sisters of the Poor, Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, or to the Indy Honor Flight.

We all miss him and have missed that voice for quite some time. But close your eyes and hear him read this “And I urge you to please notice when you are happy and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.’” ~ Kurt Vonnegut