KNOXVILLE, Tenn — Hundreds gathered at Greater Warner Tabernacle Church to celebrate the life of 17-year-old John-John Mathis on Thursday. He was a football player at Austin-East High School and was killed in a shooting in early August.
Friends, family and the community as a whole wanted to share in his homegoing celebration. Organizers said they needed a bigger church — that was how much of an impact he had.
There was one overarching point during the event that everybody who spoke mentioned: Mathis's smile. They said he had a smile that did more than light up a room.
"God gave John-John good genetics and God gave John-John talent, but God anointed his smile," said his coach.
That smile did not only brighten the spaces he walked but also brought joy to the ones he loved.
"We never got to get to John-John – because every time we went to the next person we were laughing for 10 minutes straight about everything he would say," said a friend of his.
His girlfriend said that she remembered him not only for the love he showed but also for how he changed her life.
"You turned my darkness into light and somehow made everything feel alright," she said. "You were there when I had nobody."
His classmates at Austin-East Magnet High School also honored him in style with a dance performance, a drum routine and his teammates dedicated his number on the team to the family he left behind.
Friends say he had a laugh that would never be forgotten, not only for its uniqueness but also because it was uniquely genuine.
"John-John had that weird laugh he would start deep in and then it would go high pitched. It was the funniest laugh you would ever hear," said one of his friends.
John Kelian "John-John" Mathis was 17 years old when he died. The celebration of his life will continue as he will be honored Friday at Austin- East's first game of the season against Fulton.