My condolences, love and prayers go out to the Carlin family! His mother Lynne, my life  long friend! Remembering John as a darling little boy who was a special friend to our son! 

God Bless, Diane Halvorson 

To the entire Carlin family, 

I had the honor and privilege to know John his entire 19 years working for JKL as one of his primary contacts at ESPN.  John was more than a colleague though, he was a great friend.   It’s been said time and time again what a gentleman John was…. The Nicest Guy in Hollywood, in fact.  The Great Connector.  All of that is true, yes…. and yet he was so much more than that.  There are no adjectives or superlatives out there that can really sum up who John was as a person.  There may not be enough characters allowed in this post for me to write about John’s character.  Oh, and he was a character.  He was hilarious!  Always made me laugh. Always told great stories.  Boy did he have great stories.  And he always took me to great restaurants - some dives and some divas and it was always a good meal and a good time.  No matter where we were or what time of day or night it was, John would never let me walk to my car alone.  He would have guests and friends in the green room at JKL and yet he would still insist on walking me to my car - even if I was just parked out back in their security filled parking lot!  That was the kind of man John Carlin was.  He always put others first. He always introduced you to 5-6 people a night and he always made sure you were happy.  It was only about 4 weeks ago that John sent me another resume and asked if I would try to help this guy out.   He was simply the BEST.  I am beyond devastated that I didn’t get a chance to see him again as I had hoped to do later this month.  I am heartbroken that he is no longer with us. I am also comforted by the fact that he is no longer suffering from this cruel disease.   I hope all the stories people are sharing here provide each of you with some comfort in knowing just how beloved John was. He touched so many and I am just grateful to be one of the lucky ones.  

Hi Jim, Lynne, Patrick, Kevin and Chris,  I am saddened to hear the news today of my old friend John!  He was a walking memory maker for so many people.  John was passionate about everything he did, so fun to be around, he always cared so much about others and had a huge sense of humor.  I too Patrick vividly remember his performance or "That's What I Like About You", he totally nailed it.  His love of sports was off the chart.  I remember going with John and Jim to the PCAA (Now Big West Conf) Basketball tournament at The Forum.  John had a press pass even though he was not writing for anybody at the time.  We both were in the UNLV locker room where John was conducting "fake" interviews with the players, Microphone and tape recorder in hand, he was killing me.  His adventurous spirt was so contagious for all that he came in contact with he was just fun to be around.  I am sorry I did not get to see him a few months ago, he will be missed. But cherish the multitudes of memories he left with all of us. 

Blessings and Condolences,

Tom Richter

Dear Carlin family and friends,

My name is Sam Pepke and I am one of John's many high school classmates who loved and admired him. I remember John as a kind, wonderful, and generous friend. We sang in rival bands at the ETHS 1982 Talent Show and always had a good laugh together reminiscing about that experience and other high school happenings. We also had a six-hour chemistry class together at Saddleback College and bonded through our suffering in that class. John and I lost touch after that chemistry class but reconnected at our 30th high school class reunion. Upon reconnecting, John immediately invited me and my family to the Jimmy Kimmel Show, and we took him up on his offer many times. He was always so happy to see us as we were happy to see him. At every taping John took the time to speak with and encourage my teenaged children about their interests and goals and would introduce them to the different crew members with sincere joy. John would introduce me as his high school friend with a kind compliment, always making me feel like a celebrity.

John was truly a selfless man and I am very saddened by your loss, he was such a dear soul. I am praying for you all at this time.

Please accept my sincerest condolences,

Sam Pepke

I have always been in awe of my older brother, mostly because he did things that I was really afraid to do. I remember seeing this for the first time on stage at our High School talent show. He was lead singer, and his band performed the song “What I Like About You” by the Romantics. They totally nailed it. He then went on to announce local football games at Saddleback College, which were broadcast over their local radio station. I thought at the time, “Wow, that is so cool!”, and told all my friends about it.

He eventually moved to LA, and worked on some of the biggest shows and networks (ESPN, Best Damn Sportshow, and at ABC with the Jimmy Kimmel Show). He was able to book some of the top sports talent of the day for his shows.

Back when we were kids, our family lived in Lake Arrowhead for a couple of years. We had to walk about a mile to get to the school bus stop. When it snowed, and the plow truck hadn’t been through yet, we sometimes walked through snow that was a foot deep. John went first, breaking a trail for Kevin and I (and eventually Chris) to follow in. That’s just what an older brother does, no questions asked and no complaints. And he did that in all aspects of our lives. He went first, and we followed in his footsteps.

I will miss you terribly brother. Rest in Peace.  

I am Jeff’s sister, Jenny. John was like a brother to me. He has treated me with care and kindness since I was a teenager. He even came to my high school plays, which were probably very hard to sit through. He always asked me “How are you, Jen?” and unlike most people, he really wanted to know. Here is a little video of my son, Ben, playing with “Uncie” John when he was a baby. Me and my family will miss him terribly. It doesn’t feel right that he is no longer here with us. We send our deepest condolences to the entire Carlin family.

https://photos.google.com/sha…

John was very dear to me. He was a generous guy and such an amazing spirit…..I am so heartbroken 💔  may he Rest In Peace he was very loved 🙏🙏🙏 he will be very missed 

Sending my prayers and love to his family and friends 

John changed my life for the better at a young age. I was just starting out in the sports/entertainment world and he showed me what it meant to be truly successful. He was loved by everyone, friends and coworkers alike. There was just something about John that separated himself from the rest. When he called you knew it was for real and he really did care. Thanks for everything John, I’ll get you back for all those dinners when I see you again. 

Love,

Devin