To those of you who were fairegoers or SCA members in the last 30 or more years in the Southern California area, you may well recall the tall, slender, imposing figure of Jon Lackey, musician (recorder and wire strung Irish harp at the faires), artist, street theatre and court pageantry innovator, director, photographer and long time friend to Mallory & McCall.

Jon died of cancer on February 26. A free spirit who lived out of the mainstream, he refused help until the very end, not really realizing or admitting how sick he was. He died in his sleep.

Jon also was an early member of the Chesley Donavan Foundation. He branched from it to form a group dedicated to early and "classical" music. They continue to meet, now under the direction of Bonnie Callahan, in various members homes, listen to recorded music of a selected composer and enjoy intelligent conversation. Who will forget the respect Jon taught us for the correct brewing of exotic teas? The many people that he mentored in numerous ways through the years have long respected and appreciated his care.

Jon often played recorder with Mallory & McCall during our Renaissance, Irish and even Pirate incarnations, although he was a rebel, but not a pirate at heart. He helped stage our fantasy wedding in the early 1970s when the very idea was new to us and all our friends. He acted with our Janus Company Radio Theatre on KPFK in Los Angeles as well, on and off for over 14 years. He also wrote an article and did many of the photographs for our book published by Mel Bay, Exploring the Folk Harp.

Many recall the events he staged for the Mythopoeic Society. When we staged and hosted several of the Witchcraft and Sorcery Magazine Convention's "Queen Witch and King Sorcery" contests in the early '70s, he'd cheerfully hide for hours in his fiberglass prop coffin, to rise up on cue, terrorizing the hotel management with his smoke effect!  If only...

To his amusement, he is probably best known for having created the monster for the D horror flick "The Creeping Terror," a cult classic. He also made several appearances on the old "Steve Allen Show" when it was on Vine Street in Hollywood, usually playing some kind of crazy expert on torture devices.

Jon was a man of multitude talents. His vast creativity, intelligence and most of all, his friendship will be sorely missed.

It was our hope in the near future to host an exhibit of his remarkable art on our home website, MalloryandMcCall.com.  Unfortunately, we were notified by his heirs that this is not legally possible.  We are most dismayed that we may not share his artistic genius with his friends.

Jon at Southern Faire in the late '90s.