Jonathan Place

Jonathan Manny Place passed away August 4th, 2012 in his home on Cape Cod at the age of 65. Jonathan was born on August 30th, 1946 in Greenwich, CT into the loving and caring family of Jack and Ella Place. He was the proud grandson of Ralph P. Manny and Clyde R. Place. Raised in Rye, NY, Jonathan attended and graduated from Rye Country Day School. From there, he attended The Eaglebrook Junior Boarding School in Deerfield, MA as well as The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT. Jonathan came back to Rye to complete his secondary school education at Rye High School. As a teenager, Jonathan was a star tennis player, and loved playing soccer, working with his hands, and loved being in nature.

At the age of 21, Jonathan enlisted in the Navy following in his father’s footsteps. He proudly served his country as medical corpsman and Seabee in Vietnam. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Commendation Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Expert Rifleman Medal. When he came back to the United States, Place enrolled into Windham College in Putney, VT where he took classes in literature, history, and anthropology. He graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts in English.

Throughout his adult life, Jonathan was very interested in law and in writing. He won a number of important court cases, including a case that became the harbinger in instating the Lemon Law in New York State. Place wrote and published a book, How to Save a Million, a resource for those who wanted to know the logistics of retiring with a million dollars. Place was also noted for his induction into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1998 for having the highest blood sugar while conscious.

Above all else, Jonathan Place was a proud father. Having a son at the age of 42, he vowed to make his fatherhood his biggest and proudest life accomplishment. He spent his later years raising his son, David, as well as being a prominent father figure to Joshua and Bethany Coffin. Jonathan loved traveling (especially to Maui), loved meeting new people, and loved art, literature, and history. He will be most remembered as an acclaimed storyteller and expert negotiator. He is survived by his mother, Ella M. Place; his son, David M. Place, his siblings, David L. Place, Lauren Young, and Bonnie Noonan; and his nieces and nephews.

There will be two memorial services celebrating Jonathan’s life. The first is at Christ’s Church on Saturday, August 25th at 11 AM. Christ’s Church is located on 2 Rectory Street in Rye, NY. Call 914 967 1749 for more information. The second service will be held at Cape Cod Church on Thursday, August 30th at 3:30 PM. Cape Cod Church is located on 805 Teaticket Highway in East Falmouth, MA. Call 508 540 6884 for more information. Also, you can visit www.JonathanMPlace.com for more information on Jonathan's life.