RIP John Henson

[SweetPiggy]

Way to young to go. He will be missed.

RIP John Henson

 

[LouisTheOtter]

I had no knowledge of his work as Sweetums. That's mind-blowing.

This just gets more upsetting the more I read about it. I was already saddened when I first heard the news and reflected on the little I read about John in Jim Henson: The Biography, particularly the parts about how he was moved to tears when he saw TMM's "Rainbow Connection" opening sequence for the first time. It seemed that John was a very sensitive, loving person.

Thank you for everything, John, and most importantly, for being a devoted husband and father to your children. Prayers going up for the whole family at this sad time.

 

[dwayne1115]

From The Jim Henson Company's Facebook page:
John Henson (March 25, 1965 – February 14, 2014)

John Henson was born in Greenwich Connecticut to his parents, Jim and Jane Henson. At seven years old, he and his family moved to Bedford NY, where they lived through John’s childhood years.

At sixteen, John, with his friend, John Kahn, bought an old school house in Saugerties, New York. Kahn then trained Henson in the arts of home building, furniture design, and sculpture. These disciplines would become John Henson’s life work.

Throughout his adult life, John worked with his family’s business, The Jim Henson Company, as an accomplished puppeteer. He performed the character Sweetums from 1992 until 2003, and worked as a full-body performer inside of creatures such as the Coca Cola polar bear, among others. After Jim Henson’s death in 1990, John became a shareholder and active board member in the company, and stayed involved in The Jim Henson Company until his death.

His main life passion always returned him to his projects in Saugerties, New York. He became a master in three-dimensional spatial design. His many homes and buildings in Saugerties reflect his unique design aesthetic and his extraordinary attention to detail. Each of his buildings is an art project, an immersive experience balancing function with artistic expression. His exterior, and fine interior work, utilizing a wide range of materials; from wood, to metal, to stone, created rooms of exquisite embracing craftsmanship. At the time of his death, John Henson had owned and extensively developed many properties in Saugerties, New York.

In 1996, John met the love of his life, Gyongyi Katona, and in 1999 they gave birth to their first daughter, Katrina. Their second daughter, Sydney, was born in 2003. John was a loving, playful, and dedicated father, and was very involved in all aspects of his girls’ lives.

John’s family commented, “John had the deepest soul of any man alive; sensitive, artistic, and extremely compassionate, there was no limit to his love.”

A close friend of the family, Arthur Novell described John as, “a most remarkably kind and generous man who gave so much and asked for so little. He infused us with the light of his inquisitive mind, the spirit of his keen intellect and the genius of his talent to create. John will forever be remembered and cherished and talked about and somewhere in the Universe he will be rejoiced.”

John Henson is survived by his wife Gyongyi Henson, and his two daughters, Katrina (15 years) and Sydney (10 years), as well as his siblings, Lisa, Cheryl, Brian, and Heather.

 

[Wiseman]

I heard about John Henson's passing and I was saddened by it. I also wondered exactly what caused him to have a heart attack at the young age of 48 (I only just turned 46 myself), any information on that? I loved him as Sweetums. I hope Brian continues to live for a long time.