Jeff

Summer was Jeff's favorite time of year and one of his favorite sayings was "Everything looks better when the sun's on it." For a man who loved the water and being outdoors, these words made a lot of sense. Jeff also felt best dressed when wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt accompanied by a comfortable pair of loafers. Suit and tie were not his style.

Jeff was one of those rare individuals who had a knack for putting other people at ease. He could tell a good story and spun endless yarns. He was a good listener, too, and many people sought him out for advice and counsel.

Jeff was famous for his backyard barbecues, which always drew a crowd. These gatherings included plenty of beer to go around, and, for a while, Jeff brewed his own. He also made a specialty hot sauce which tasted good on just about anything. We all looked forward to getting a couple bottles of his "special sauce" for Christmas each year.

Although Jeff was a craftsman, a woodworker who specialized in marine joinery, he was a man who wore many hats over his lifetime. After graduating from high school, he joined the US Air Force and was stationed in Berlin, Germany where he was a decoder in the 1960s. Also, notably, he invented a drop sorter for a lumber mill in New Mexico when he lived there in the 1970s, and he managed a marina and taught wood working at a community college when he moved to coastal North Carolina in the 1980s.

For a time, Jeff raised tropical fish he sold to local pet shops. The walls in his home were lined with tanks with colorful varieties of fish big and small. He also loved to sail. Some of my fondest memories of times shared with Jeff were those out on North Carolina's Pamlico Sound, the wind in our hair and always smiles on our faces. It was such a joy and carefree feeling to be out on the boat!

In addition to the fish tanks, the walls of Jeff's home were filled top to bottom with book shelves and an infinite supply of reading material in all subject areas. Jeff's favorite quiet pastime pursuit was reading, and he was a voracious reader. As a result, he literally became a walking encyclopedia and knew at least a little bit about just about anything.

Everybody loved Jeff. He had the biggest heart and he always had time for you. He didn't care where you'd been or who you were, you were welcome just because, and everyone was treated with kindness and decency. His friend's described him as having an "open door policy," and, true to this description, his door was indeed always open.

In addition to his multitudes of friends, Jeff was a devoted step father and maintained a 30 plus year relationship with his girlfriend. He was the oldest brother of five siblings. I am the baby of this bunch...Jeff's little sister...and I've always looked up to him and cherished our close relationship.

Jeff quietly slipped away from us this year...dying of a heart attack at 64 years of age on February 2nd, Ground Hog Day. I think the three more months of winter forecast just seemed too long to bear this year.

We all miss Jeff. We all have a sense of loss that time can't heal. But, we all know Jeff would rather us find the silver lining in the clouds, and, most of all, enjoy the sunshine...and...so we will.