Jeffrey Allan Screen

Jeff leaves behind and will be dearly missed by his beloved wife Carol and their dog, Sammy; his dad Jack, sister Teri (Brian), brother Kevin (Janet); nephews Chris, Eric, and Brad (Kim); nieces Taylor, Hailey, Jennifer (James), and Robyn; sister-in-law Susan (Ken); brothers-in-law Laurie and David; his aunts, uncles and cousins; and his many friends. Jeff was predeceased by his mom Sheila and sister Wendy.

Born in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Jeff was welcomed into the world on October 18, 1960. As his dad’s career evolved, his family would relocate to Regina, Pincher Creek and Edmonton before heading to Calgary in 1964 for Jeff’s elementary school years, then on to North Vancouver for three years. North Van was where Jeff began to excel as an athlete, playing soccer, football and baseball; he was the guy all the other kids wanted on their ‘kick the can’ team because he was so fast. Jeff was the first skier in the family, taking advantage of his school’s ski days at Grouse Mountain. Once the family settled back in Calgary, Jeff would continue to nurture his love of skiing by building ski jumps with his buddies in nearby ravines, practicing daffy’s, helicopters and back flips on their ‘shorties’.

Jeff attended FE Osbourne Jr. High and graduated from Sir Winston Churchill High School in 1978. He was very active during his high school years in football and basketball, and made his way to ski hills whenever he had the chance. Jeff went to U of C for a semester of general studies while he figured out what he wanted to do next. He first would get his Class 2 license to drive a City of Calgary bus for a year. After Jeff’s share of bus driving adventures, he enrolled in the Power Engineering Technology program at SAIT, later working at Petro-Canada’s Wildcat Hills Gas Plant in various positions from Shift Engineer to Lead Operator. He would say, ‘They don’t pay you for what you do, but for what you know how to do if something goes wrong!’. After several years of shift work, Jeff realized it was time to move on, making the decision to go back to university for a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He knew himself well enough to know that he had to remove any temptations to hang out with his buddies in Calgary or hit the slopes, so he opted for U of A in Edmonton.

Jeff completed his Engineering degree at the age of 29. In turn, he worked at Petro-Canada, PennWest and Barrington Petroleum. He then became an integral member and co-founder of three junior start-up company teams, heading up production and operations at Progress Energy, Spry Energy and finally Spry2 Energy, retiring in 2017.

In 1993, during a Petro-Canada ski trip to Fernie, and ‘perhaps’ instigated by mutual friends, Jeff met Carol. They soon began dating and making memories as they built a life together while living and working in Calgary and playing in the Rockies. They shared their love for each other, their families and friends, and their passion for sports and outdoor activities. In the late 1990’s, Jeff and Carol had the opportunity to look after a friends’ cabin near Golden BC, where they would spend most of their free time exploring with friends, hiking, trail building, tree felling and, of course, skiing at Kicking Horse.

Skiing was always one of Jeff’s greatest passions, whether it be in resorts or the backcountry. By 2014, Jeff and Carol had fallen for the Golden area, and made the decision to build a home in the community at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.

An accomplished skier, Jeff loved the steep and deep at Kicking Horse saying ‘you can’t be tentative on this mountain!’ A patient and encouraging guy, he would often convince others to step out of their comfort zones. He also looked forward to his yearly cat ski trips to Valemount, BC.

Jeff was involved in just about any kind of sport or activity during his lifetime; football, baseball, basketball, scuba and ice diving, wind surfing, cycling, slow pitch ball, running, mountain biking, skiing, hiking, kayaking … you name it. Over the years, Jeff and Carol’s adventures together would include a number of trips cycling BC’s Golden Triangle, Montana’s Going-to-the-Sun Road circuit through West Glacier National Park, Nova Scotia’s Cabot Trail; and hiking adventures in the Rockies, Yoho National Park and the East Kootenays. At the end of the day, Jeff would find immense satisfaction in summiting a peak or successfully achieving a goal.

Hunting was also one of Jeff’s many passions. He and his buddies planned hunting and camping trips to remote areas in both Northern and Eastern Alberta and, more recently, in the Longview area in Alberta. Jeff always shared his bounty to the delight of family and friends. For Jeff, it wasn’t the thrill of the hunt but more about spending quality time with friends, describing some of their trips as ‘camping with guns’.

Jeff and Carol, together with family and friends, travelled to several destinations abroad including Africa (summiting Kilimanjaro on Valentine's Day 2009), Italy, Dubai, Croatia, Alaska, and Portugal. Jeff enjoyed every one of these trips, but also would be just as happy at home exploring Canada’s beauty. BC’s Okanagan and West Coast were common destinations where they enjoyed summer activities, often including winery visits while spending time with friends.

In 2019, Jeff and Carol completed their family with the addition of a shep-a-doodle puppy they named Sammy. Sometimes unpredictable, Sammy always managed to melt their hearts. Jeff was an outstanding dog owner, training Sammy through continual research, sending him to what was joked to be ‘University’, and by following preferred trainers online. Sammy would heel for Jeff with military precision! Jeff and Carol loved taking Sammy to favourite trails where he could safely run free.

Jeff and Sammy were walking together on one such trail on a beautiful January afternoon in the mountains, doing what Jeff loved to do; Sammy never leaving his side.

Jeff loved Carol, Sammy, his family and his friends. He loved rodeos, old-time country music, spaghetti westerns, good food and wine with family and friends, chopping wood, building cozy fires and spreadsheets, his garage, active holidays, and making the most of mountain life and the great outdoors. Jeff was always ready for the next adventure.

There are many words which would describe the essence of Jeff; adventurous, fun-loving and happy, genuine, positive, caring and considerate, thoughtful, strong and resilient, always humble; a truly good person with a quick sense of humour and a beautiful smile.

Jeff’s smile and spirit will always remain in our hearts, and he will be missed by everyone who knew and loved him.

An afternoon Celebration of Jeff’s life will be held on Friday, May 9, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at The Glencoe Club, 2nd Floor Ballroom, 636 - 29 Avenue SW, Calgary.

Please email your RSVP to the family as indicated in the ‘Services’ section shown below.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Libin Cardiovascular Institute through a special Tribute page for Jeff, at the following link: https://engage.ucalgary.ca/jeffscreen