Jeffrey Dean Stehle

Jeffrey Dean Stehle, 50 died on August 18, 2015 on the island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean. Jeff died doing what he loved the most, he was snorkeling in one of the most beautiful places this Earth has to offer. Jeff was in a bay with beautiful turquoise blue water across from mountains covered in rain forest. He was living life to the fullest. A celebration of his life will be held Saturday August 29 at 11 am at the Country Church 1005 FM 78 Marion, Texas. Jeff was born October 13, 1964 at McKenna Hospital in New Braunfels, Texas to Stanley and Susan Stehle. He graduated from Canyon High School in 1983. He then enrolled at Texas Tech University, marrying his high school sweetheart Kim Rittimann Stehle while attending Tech. They were blessed to be married and witness each others lives for 28 beautiful years. After Kim’s graduation from Tech, Jeff, Kim, and their newborn son Travis returned to New Braunfels where their daughter Taylor was born. He loved animals, spending his entire adult life caring for them. 24 years spent as a supervisor of Large Mammals at the San Antonio Zoo, then later transported and managed exotic species, shipping animals as far as Saudi Arabia and Japan. Jeff’s interest were many and varied. He loved to fish, hunt, cook, read, garden, travel, experience new cultures, and always make new friends. Jeff was a wonderful man of God who loved people and life to the fullest extent. He didn’t force his beliefs on others, but he always found a way to share his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with everyone. He had a very loving, giving, and kind heart. Surviving Jeff are his parents Stanley and Susan, wife Kim, son Travis and his girlfriend Abby, daughter Taylor and her husband Zach, son by heart Christopher Stehle, sister Tammy and her family, sister-in-law Chicki, parents by marriage Danny and Louise Rittimann, brother-in-law Jim and his family, and sister-in-law Wimberly and her family. He was preceded in death by his brother Bryan Stehle. In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to be sent to Heifer International to continue Jeff’s legacy (https://fundraise.heifer.org/fundraise? fcid=492782) . The family also requests, if you’re able to attend his celebration, to wear brightly colored clothing in honor of Jeff’s colorful life.