I don’t know when I’ll ever stop mourning Jeff, but I have to let go and focus on rebuilding now. I’m so glad you all shared about him—It made it easier to make a packet to send his mom, which I’m sure she will treasure! 2 years ago

it was always fun. He seemed to be fully apprciative of my love for my dogs and that was nice. I had fun with him over it a time or two. Not many people “get that”, but Jeff did.

As the mother of an adopted son, I appreciate his love for his adoptive mother. It was beautiful.

Jeff was younger than me and his passing leaves me painfully aware of my own mortality and how much I still want to do in this life. I hope Jeff will find the answers to the questions he still had and the realization of all his unfullfilled dreams in the next life.

Until later Jeff . . .

Love, Hippiechick
(and Spanky, Faith, Choncho, Morticia and Gomez) 2 years ago

but I will not forget Jeff. He was brilliant and well-read, a good man who died too soon. I will miss him. 2 years ago

to cheer me—and keep looking for those erudite comments he made. He would always say something to make me feel like a bigger person than I really am. God knows I miss him. 2 years ago

the support you folks have been giving me. It is a good thing to remember that one’s not alone in mourning for someone, and the empathy is really overpowering, like a strong fresh scent. 2 years ago

Hey all,

I can’t say I knew Jeff on here, but wanted to express my condolences to each of you who called him friend. Charity asked me to find a foundation that researches Graves’ Disease, should any of you like to donate in his memory. I found a few options, and wanted to post them for you.

1) The main one really is The Graves’ Disease Foundation. Their whole focus is on educating and supporting sufferers of Graves’ Disease, as well as research. You may also make a memorial gift.

2) Mayo Clinic is doing a lot of research on it, and I’m sure you could designate “Grave’s Disease Research” as an “Other” area for donating, here”.

3) There’s a center at Johns Hopkins University called the Kelly Ripkin Program, with an emphasis on patient education and free screening with thyroid disorders. Donate here.

4) Living With Graves’ Disease is a website and online resource for sufferers of Graves’ Disease. Donating offsets the administrative costs of the website. It seems great for the community aspect and linking to current research, but not for research itself. I saw mention of them on Facebook, and it really seems like a great go-to place.

Again, I’m so sorry for your loss. Jeff, may you rest in peace and know that you are always remembered!

L. 2 years ago

I’d rather have it back. This hurts hellaciously. 2 years ago

He took a stand for what he believed. I always respected him for that. 2 years ago

numb. It’s a quarter till seven, and I need to go home from the office. I am so tired and so flat, if you know what I mean. God bless my students: They could tell something was wrong. I told them, so they wouldn’t think it was something they did. Glad my daughter is at her father’s house right now. It gives me a breather to become more functional before she gets back… 2 years ago

of a wake, where we all gather to share our memories of Jeff. These days, people are mourned by two groups . . .the communities they lived in and their online communities.

I just visited Jeff’s page and noticed how many of his goals had to do with reading. I was subscribed to Jeff, and I remember days when I’d be scrolling through posts and come on pages and pages and pages of books and movies Jeff had listed on All Consuming. I would grumble and keep scrolling, but I always remained subscribed.

Jeff was a loyal son and a loyal friend. He often wrote about how his adoptive parents were his only parents as far as he was concerned, and he did not just say the words, he lived the life, taking care of his mother for as long as he could. As for being a loyal friend, one only had to be subscribed to both Jeff and Sherlock to see his loyalty and support in action.

In many of his posts, he reflected that he had not lived up to his potential and that he was perhaps a disappointment as a son. Jeff had much potential . . . I can see him in an alternate life as a curmudgeonly English professor, surrounded by his books and enriching the lives of his students. But instead, he cared for his mother with patience, kindness, love, and gratitude. In my universe and undoubtedly in his mother’s, patience, kindness, love, and gratitude trump achivements of other kinds hands down.

I will miss Jeff. 2 years ago

I didn’t interact with Jeff very frequently, but whenever we did it was friendly. It’s so odd how you just assume that people on the other side of the ether are sort of in “suspended animation,” that they always were there and they always will be there.

I’m very sorry to learn of his passing. 2 years ago

His church was Potomac United Methodist Church, 9908 South Glen Rd., Potomac, MD 20854. His obituary asked in lieu of flowers, for donations to be made in his memory to his church. But I think he would like whatever you might want to do… 2 years ago

His last posts regarding the severity of his Graves Disease were worrisome. This photo is from those times. The photo, like Jeff, is starkly self revealing. His honesty was sometimes almost too much, and that is something that can seldom be said about anyone.

I will miss his droll sense of humor, so different I would sometimes scroll through multiple posts to make sure I was catching the right nuance, & never sure…

Wishing his family peace and fond memories.

For Sherlock and others who were close to him through 43Things, extra aloha. 2 years ago

I need to process this before I can write anything more. This is sad. 2 years ago

Several people messaged me and asked for the link. This is Jeff’s page.

http://www.43things.com/person/Shattuck1959 2 years ago

She is a jewel, clearly as lovely as he described her. She didn’t know much about 43t, although he did mention it to her a couple of times she said.

She said he went to sleep the night of his last post, and simply didn’t wake up. Of course, it was a huge shock for her, and she is still actively, deeply mourning him.

I told her a bit about his goals and the love with which he described her. I think it meant a great deal to her.

To the Robots: If you have any thoughts of taking his site down, for heaven’s sake, don’t. It stands as testimony to a good man. I’m going to try to download appropriate sections for his mother, who said she would very much like to have whatever seemed appropriate to send her.

I feel a deep, painful, overwhelming sense of loss. 2 years ago

I found his contact information way back in my 43t records and called today, knowing that the news must be terribly bad. It was. I just talked with someone who sounded like a housekeeper who said that he died in January.

I left my name and number and I’m hoping that his mother can call me back.

Oh, y’all. This is incredibly sad. 2 years ago