Obituary of Jeffrey Porter Coon

May 2, 2013 Jeffrey Porter Coon died May 2, 2013, at home in his sleep. He was born May 4, 1965, in Stanford, NY, where he graduated in 1983 from Keshequa Junior-Senior High School. He was a proud Marine and was honorably discharged in 1988. He embraced his lifelong love of cooking and food at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, where he graduated in 1990. After graduating, he enjoyed honing his cooking skills, applying his special culinary touch and wreaking havoc in many kitchens, including Bellevue Country Club and Decker’s Veal and Vintage in Syracuse, NY, Richardson’s Canal House in Pittsford, NY, and was chosen for the James Beard House award in NYC in 1995. One fateful day in 1997, Jeff’s motorcycle broke down by the side of the road and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que founder John Stage pulled over to help it. The two started talking about the restaurant business, as Jeff was a chef and John was opening a second Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester. In 1998, Jeff found his home at Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester. In 2004, he moved to NYC to open the NYC Dinosaur BBQ, becoming Executive Chef and Managing Partner. He represented the Dinosaur on the Food Network, at BBQ competitions around the world, and various festivals, cooking engagements, and television appearances. His presence was always noticed, and he often stole the show. His love for his classical training, his mom’s cooking and recipes, and the craft of BBQ made him a dedicated chef that touched all of the people with whom he worked and trained. His unique cooking style was only surpassed by his jokes, spirit, songs, generosity, impropriety, charm, yelling, cursing, flirting, wit, heart, and generally being the magnificent SOB that he was. He enjoyed food tremendously, loved music deeply, and adored his friends and family. He lived life fully and with verve. He is survived by his sister, Jen of NC, his mother and father, Erna and Randy of FL, and his grandmother Ruth Coon of Addison, NY. Donations in Jeff’s honor may be made to a charity to be named at a later date. Along with his family, his classmates, coworkers, partners, bosses, BBQ community, and friends far too many to count will miss him every day. He will always be our beloved Cooter, Coots, Coonan, Rev. Cootiay, Cootenani. Give ‘em hell, you crazy bastard!