Beloved husband, father, son, brother, brother-in-law, cousin, uncle, mentor and friend.

The forest, the trees, the wind whistling through the tall ones on Whidbey Island.

Quick wit and quips, laughter with friends.

Salzberger schnerlregen (as Oma would say, and we’d all laugh).

Feeding friends and family ‘til they burst.

Cheetos (but only for himself).

Kittens & cats (in particular ours).

Audiobooks, TED talks and learning new things.

Alex and Sabena.

These were a few of his favorite things — his loves.

Jeff was a shooting star who burned a path brightly but all too quickly across our lives. His intensity and focus on the things he found interesting were infectious, and, yes, sometimes tedious when his passion occasionally overwhelmed. He was a visionary who could quickly see how systems worked and what change would be coming to the world long before the rest of us. He would try and prepare his loved ones for what he saw, be it the coming of the Internet, the rise of information privacy, the need for cybersecurity, or, unfortunately, the danger of pandemics.

He died in his mid-50s, to the utter disbelief of family and friends who said it was too sudden and too soon. As the realization set in, each of them recounted how he made them laugh — so hard at times it would make their sides ache. He loved nothing more than to trade quips and one-liners back and forth with his friends and to revel in life’s absurdity. He spent hours crafting just the right texts and funny pictures to send to Alex to make her smile when she had a particularly hard day. He was thoughtful that way, especially with those he loved.

His family and friends will regale one another with remembrances and stories of their shared laughter, bringing with it a bittersweet smile. He leaves an aching hole in the hearts of his daughter and wife. He will be missed but never forgotten.

What we once enjoyed and deeply loved, we can never lose; for all that we love deeply become a part of us.

Helen Keller

There will be a private burial service. In lieu of flowers, Jeff would have wanted donations to your favorite academic institution, place of learning or the library.