For two decades, Coad helped shape the identity of the Whistle Stop Bar, serving not only drinks but a sense of belonging. Staff describe him as the quiet compass of the neighborhood venue - someone who embodied acceptance, curiosity, and creativity in ways that left deep, lasting marks on everyone who crossed his path.
Coad was widely known for his vivid artistic mind, experimental music, philosophy-laced humor, and his singular ability to make people feel seen. Those that loved him describe a man that moved through the world with a rare combination of eccentricity and gentleness - a person who could spend hours discussing art, music, or the nature of being, and who instinctively understood how to brighten even the hardest days for the people around him. His iconic laugh became part of the soundscape of the Whistle Stop itself.
A multidisciplinary creator, Coad contributed to San Diego’s underground art and music scenes for decades, founding and supporting small DIY venues, collaborating with experimental musicians, and producing multimedia pieces that reflected his playful, unbound approach to art. He was a key voice behind the now-defunct gallery Disclosed unLocation, a South Park micro–art space known for showcasing esoteric, emerging, and otherwise overlooked artists. His work continually pushed boundaries - sometimes literally, through installations built from scavenged materials, repurposed electronics, or collaged fragments of discarded culture.
Despite his vibrant public presence, friends recall Coad as deeply introspective, self-aware, and compassionate. He was someone people turned to for unexpected wisdom, unpretentious honesty, and inventive ideas about how to navigate life’s most complicated corners. He championed others’ joy, advocated for their creativity, and made a point to foster community wherever he went.
At the Whistle Stop, where he worked for 20 years, Coad became an institution himself - a steady, guiding force behind countless music nights, art gatherings, storytelling events, and parties that helped build South Park into one of San Diego’s most distinctive cultural neighborhoods. Regulars speak of him as the “heart” of the bar, someone who defined its ethos of openness, humor, and wholehearted weirdness.
Coad was active and excited about new projects in the hours before he passed, sharing plans for upcoming music experiments and art ideas with friends, a detail that has brought comfort to many. In the days since the announcement, dozens of San Diegans have shared memories of small gestures - a conversation, a laugh, a moment of kindness - that left lasting impressions. Many described sudden recent encounters with Coad that now feel like cherished final gifts.
His family, including his parents and siblings, thanked the Whistle Stop community for the love and care shown to him over the years. According to loved ones, the bar was one of the places where Coad felt most understood and most himself.
The Whistle Stop has invited the public to share stories and memories of Jfre, and plans to honor him in the coming weeks. Details will be announced as they are finalized.
Coad’s passing leaves an irreplaceable void in San Diego’s creative ecosystem - a loss felt by bartenders, musicians, artists, riders on 30th Street bike lanes, longtime regulars, and generations of people who found inspiration in his joyful strangeness. He will be remembered as a bright, endlessly imaginative force who helped make South Park a place where art, individuality, and community truly mattered.
Rest easy, Jfre Robot. You made San Diego better.