The body of San Francisco radio host Jeffrey Vandergrift, known as JV, to his fans, has been found at Pier 39 in San Francisco late Wednesday.
A medical examiner identified the body as the 55-year-old radio personality who was the host of his own radio show, “The JV Show,” on the radio station Wild 94.9.
Jeffrey Vandergrift Fans Are Shocked By Radio Host’s Tragic Passing
According to local news station KTVU, the radio host had been open about his health struggles over the past few years. He had been diagnosed with Lyme disease and spoke publicly about the physical struggles that he experienced, including brain fog, migraines, dizziness, and blurred vision.
The news of his passing comes one month after he was last seen at his San Francisco home on February 23. His wife, Natasha Yi, thanked his listeners for the outpouring of love and support she received, but felt that her husband would “not be coming back.”
“I want to let you know that personal information has recently been discovered that leads us to believe JV will not be coming back,” Yi said in a statement shared at the time. “I tell you this with incredible pain and sadness in my heart.”
His cause of death has not yet been disclosed; however, Vandergrift was open that he struggled with self-harm, especially when trying to cope with the physical symptoms of Lyme disease.
JV Thanks His Fans For A ‘Wonderful Life’
Three weeks ago, the radio host shared a photo of him posing with Wild 94.9 merch on Instagram with an alarming caption that concerned fans.
“Thank you for a wonderful life-filed [sic] w joy, laughs, pain & struggle,” he wrote in the caption. “It’s been a great journey. Your support & prayers meant the world. Keep shinin’ love=❤️ compassion=🧡 understanding =💛 truth=💚 forgiveness=💙 peace=🤍 and hope=💜for others.”
The post has since been taken over by fans and famous friends who are paying tribute to JV. Elvis Medina, who goes by Radio Elvis, commented, “I will Never forget you and our decades of love & laughs. The rest of my life will be dedicated in celebration of our friendship , your incredible wit, passion, talent, and love you had for all. I was so lucky to call you my friend and partner. We made some noise my friend. Danner.”
Fans And Friends Remember The Impact JV Had On Their Lives
Another fan, Kristin Elizabeth, commented, “I’ll never forget when you helped me win front row Britney Spears tickets. I was desperate & tweeted my actual phone number & you called me. You came up with a contest & I came into the studio & sang Britney’s songs for 3 hours. You gave me one of the best memories of my life. What you do MATTERS. You change the lives of so many. You definitely changed mine. Praying you are ok. What you’ve done for the Bay is unlike anything else. We still need you JV.”
Another fan commented, “He’s been telling us for the last year how he’s literally tortured every day physically and mentally by Lyme disease. He has a whole blog describing it all. He hasn’t been getting better and it had been affecting his brain in ways he couldn’t even describe. The pain may have been too much to bear. I wish him peace wherever he may be. Let’s keep praying for him and rallying around Natasha however we can. This is all so devastating.”
