Obituary of Jonah Patton Shimanoff:
Jonah Patton Shimanoff, age 17, of Maplewood, New Jersey, passed away after a tragic accident in his home on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (TSTI), 432 Scotland Road, South Orange, NJ 07079.
Jonah, a senior at Columbia High School in Maplewood, was a loving, talented and creative person. He spent his mornings studying Commercial Art at Union County Career & Technical Institute in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. He was a talented artist who worked in varied media including collage, graffiti and pop art. Jonah was looking forward to attending the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in the Fall.
Jonah was a natural communicator with a contagious personality. From a very young age, he always had a hello and huge smile for everyone he met. He loved to laugh, especially at slapstick comedy, and always had a witty remark for every situation. He was a loyal and devoted friend and family member with whom you could share your deepest thoughts. No matter what was going on in his life, Jonah was empathetic and always tried to help other people first, whether it was cheering on his little league team or supporting a close friend going through a tough time.
Jonah Patton Shimanoff
Jonah had an adventurous spirit and loved to travel. He cherished the memories of his trips to Baltimore and Boston to see baseball games, to Chincoteague to see wild horses, to Africa to see all five of the big game on safari, on the Disney Cruise to dress and “arrrgh” like a pirate and to the Galapagos, where a very friendly sea lion rested its head on Jonah’s foot. Jonah never turned down an opportunity to zip line through the jungle, dive or bungee jump off a cliff, ride in a helicopter, or kiss a giraffe on the lips.
Jonah also had many other interests, from thrifting to designer brands, from cars to collectibles and from heavy metal music to watches. He loved animals, particularly his cherished dog, Jasper.
Jonah is predeceased by his grandfather, Sheldon Shimanoff. He is survived by his parents, Eric Shimanoff and Geoffrey Patton; his grandparents, Miriam Patton, Arlene and Robert Goldberg, Thomas Patton and Teresa Principe, and Michele Zimmerman; and many beloved family members and friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jonah’s memory to:
To leave a message for the family on Jonah’s tribute wall or to find information about the memorial service livestream, visit his memorial page at The Holle Family funeral home.
