I knew Jeff since 2nd grade, but we really connected my sophomore year and his junior year in HS. We grew closer during our college years and remained good friends for 35 yrs. We would passionately discuss current events, politics, religion, and articles and books we had recently read. He had a brilliant mind and a mischievous and sharp wit. He was also a bit of a rebel in flouting what people expected. He got a kick out of doing things that surprised people from time to time.
When I moved to California, Jeff was my lifeline to sanity for the year I worked on a dairy farm, milking cows to pay off my student loans. I was miserable and wrote letters, more like tomes, venting my self pity; trying to match the intelligence, wit and compassion he put in a single page letter. He was the most talented and amazing writer. His photography work was equally amazing. I tried for years to convince him to compile an anthology of photography and prose, but it was something he was never moved to do.
I have so many good memories of Jeff, I could write a book. He was one of my favorite people to share good spirits with and we did that on many occasions. I loved Jeff’s laugh. When I called my sister Cathy, to tell her Jeff had passed; she looked up his obituary online and read it to me. When she read the last line about Marlowe, I asked, “Does it say Marlowe is a cat?” She chuckled and said, “No.” I roared, knowing Jeff would enjoy that.
Jeff was a wonderful human being. He had a brilliant mind, a gentle and compassionate heart and was an extremely gifted artist. The world is not the same with the lack of his presence.