To Jeffrey Scott Crawford, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Jeffrey, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Jeffrey really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.
Jeffrey was born on November 9, 1957 at Douglas County Hospital in Roseberg, Oregon. His parents were Richard Crawford and Donna Haskin. Jeffrey was raised in Monroe, Michigan. Even as a child, Jeffrey had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family.
Always a good playmate, Jeffrey was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Jeffrey managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Jeffrey was raised with nine siblings. He had two older brothers, Ric and Kevin, two younger brothers, Brett and Vern, three older sisters, Cheryl, Katherine and Martha, and two younger sisters, Patricia and Tomasa.
All of Jeffrey's playful good humor carried over into his childhood. He was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed him to be constantly on the go. As a result, Jeffrey experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited him very well. He took part in baseball and hockey. In his spare time he loved to play the guitar, go hunting and fishing with his Dad (Richard Haskin), and loved to roller and ice skate.
Ask anyone who knew him from school and they would tell you that Jeffrey was a class “cut-up.” He didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Jeffrey simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of his friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Jeffrey, grades may not have been the most important thing to him, but he really did enjoy his school experience. Since experience was Jeffrey's best teacher. He enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Jeffrey graduated from Monroe High School in 1975. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was Photography.
Jeffrey reveled in his college years, where his imagination could run free. He was viewed by many of his classmates as being a creative, artistic person. Jeffrey was usually found at the center of things, whether it was during class or in extracurricular activities. He was a jovial person who loved to share his passion for fun with others. But for Jeffrey, life was not a case of all play and no work. Jeffrey relished the task of putting his imagination to work in class. He was able to discover new and different ways of answering problems and creating unusual and different solutions. He earned his degree in Electronics Technology from Phillip's College in 1989. He also pursued graduate school, earning his A.A. degree from Phillip's College in 1989.
Jeffrey never actually encountered a stranger in his dealings with people. He was drawn to individuals and crowds, using his gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. This quality allowed Jeffrey to continually develop new relationships, ever widening his circle of friends. Jeffrey delighted in his role among all his acquaintances, because he viewed them all as potential spectators for his performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Jeffrey was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. Jeffrey utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of his best friends were Kevin Smith, Mark Smith, Tim Smith, Kurt Wiley, Keith Wiley and many more. Later in life, he became friends with John Zele, Paul Zele, Mark Tucker, Steve Ellis, Kenny Rich, and Kenny Thomas. These are just a few of Jeff's friends because he was always growing and had such a big heart and liked everyone which makes it so hard to name all of his friends. Jeffrey loved sharing life and having his home filled with people he knew.
The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Jeffrey very easy to approach. On November 27, 1987 Jeffrey exchanged wedding vows with Deborah (Debbie) Tumblson at the Heart of Reno Chapel in Reno, Nevada. He tried hard not to impose on his spouse. He was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage.
At work, as in life, Jeffrey was a real “people person. ” he had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and his enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Jeffrey liked to see himself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Jeffrey was an adaptable realist, using his common sense and trusting his experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Jeffrey's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around him to see Jeffrey as an excellent problem solver. His primary occupation was as a Test Technician and Production Supervisor. He was employed for 15 years by Sunrise Telecom.
Jeffrey enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “arts and crafts” type, Jeffrey liked creating and making things. His favorite pursuits were skiing, and fixing and restoring guitars and amps but most of all he loved to play his guitar. Jeffrey was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.
Jeffrey felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if he wasn’t the best, Jeffrey loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Jeffrey relished the opportunities where he could make an impact, and he would often push himself to play above his abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Jeffrey never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. In high school, Jeffrey took part in swimming. Recreational sports included baseball. Jeffrey was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, baseball, and Nascar.
Living life in the fast lane suited Jeffrey just fine. It is no surprise that he loved to travel and to visit new and different places. He was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. He was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included the beach and the warf in Santa Cruz, California; skiing in Tahoe, Nevada; San Diego, California; Disneyland in Santa Ana, California; and Medford, Oregon.
Jeffrey was a lover of animals and cherished his pets, enjoying them almost as much as he enjoyed being around other people. Some of Jeffrey's favorites was Honey, a brown and tan black Labrador, Chow, and Rottweiler mix (deceased); La Rue, a black Labrador Retriever (deceased); Wild Cheyenne, a yellow Labrador Retriever (deceased); Diamond Rio, a black Labrador Retriever; Miss Fargo, a black Labrador Retriever; Lonestar Duke, a black Labrador Retriever; and Kali, a black and white Whippet. Jeffrey was best friends with Honey, La Rue, and Miss Fargo for 7 years; Wild Cheyenne and Diamond Rio for 8 years; and Lonestar Duke and Kali for 5 years.
Jeffrey passed away on November 1, 2010 at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, California due to pneumonia. He is survived by his wife Debbie Crawford; his parents Donna Haskin and Richard Crawford; his brothers Ric Crawford, Kevin Crawford, Brett Haskin and Vernie Bray; his sisters Cheryl Brown, Katherine Powers, Martha Ross, Patricia Bray and Tomasa Brown; his many nieces and nephews; his many great nieces and nephews; and his four dogs (3 girls and 1 boy). Services were held at Oak Hill Funeral Home in the Chapel of Roses. Jeffrey was laid to rest at the family residence in San Jose, California.
Jeffrey brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Jeffrey Scott Crawford lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.
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