Jeff was born on October 26, 1967, in Tazewell. He graduated from Claiborne County High School in 1985 and went on to join the U.S. Army. While stationed in Germany, Jeff was present when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. One of his most prized possessions was a piece of that wall. Next, he joined the Army Reserves and then continued to serve our country in the 278th regiment of the National Guard. During his military career, Jeff participated in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Gulf War.
Jeff had a true empathy for others, and this was most demonstrated by his voluntary deployment to Iraq after 9/11. Jeff volunteered to actively serve in a combat position, in hopes that his deployment would at least allow another soldier to remain with family stateside.
Jeff worked for a number of years at Spectra in Alcoa, and most recently as a driver/operator for Bin There Dump That. He was known for his easygoing personality, his generosity, and his ability to find the good in everyone and everything. He loved reading, especially about history and the military, and he was a big fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and author Dean Koontz. He picked up lots of useless knowledge, which he had one day hoped to showcase on the game show, Jeopardy. Most of all, he loved music and song lyrics, and he was a life-long fan of the rock band, KISS. He attended numerous concerts over the years, and even performed in a tribute band as his favorite member, Ace Frehley. Jeff was proud to have grown up on Cedar Lane in Tazewell, where he made many fond memories and life-long friends. He was sad that his illness prevented him from attending a recent Cedar Lane reunion.
Jeff is survived by his mother, Judy Cope, and his sisters: Kim Morris (Rick Manning), Debbie Brooks (Tim), Misty Shively (Larry), several nieces and nephews, and several great nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by grandparents, Emma and Oscar Morris, and his father Burl Lakins.
A visitation will be held on Sunday, October 12th from 12:30 to 1:30 at Coffey Funeral Home, Tazewell. A graveside service with military honors will follow in the Moody Cemetery. Family and friends are invited to attend. Serving as pall bearers: Logan Brooks, Chas Byrne, Landon Manning and Larry Shively.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Moody Cemetery upkeep fund, HonorAir, Knoxville, Mission of Hope, or the charity of your choice.
In the words of KISS: “If you don’t feel good in every way you could/don’t sit there broken-hearted/call all your friends in the neighborhood/and get the party started.” And always remember, God gave Rock and Roll to you.
