Remembering Jeff

Jeff spent 20+ years in the US Coast Guard. He retired and went to work for our local Sheriff's Department as a guard in the county jail.

Jeff was well loved by his family, friends and co-workers.

Our children grew up together. We worked and lived in the same communities. We know the same people.

Tonight a group of us met at a local hangout to help Jeff's widow get through tonight and to remember Jeff. This local hangout is owned and operated by another retired Coastie, who worked with Jeff. He has lots of Coast Guard pictures, he put up some special pictures memoralizing Jeff.

Jeff's widow has three children. The youngest will graduate high school this year. Her dad won't be there in body, but you can bet he will be there in spirit.

I wish I could do more for them. I wish we could turn back time and go back a year, so Jeff's children and wife could at least have been here when he died, not stuck in another state.

I wish we didn't have death.

Miss You Jeff

One year ago today, while driving to work , I answered a call on my cell phone. It was my friend Lynette, she broke the news that another friend of ours Jeff, had died early that morning. His widow was in another state making arrangements for her mothers funeral.

Jeff was in the hospital, expecting to come home soon. Friends who had been with him the night before say he was on his laptop creating recipes of things he could eat. He was in good spirits, relatively good health in spite of everything else going on.

Today, at approximately the same time, as I am driving to work my cell phone rang again. It was Lynette, I almost did not answer.

She was just checking to see how I was doing.