Jeff loved life and definitely lived it to the fullest. He never knew a stranger. Jeff loved baseball. He started in Little League and played through college and even a couple of years in the minor leagues. He was the ski patrol director at Cataloochee Ski Area. He loved competing in triathlons, hiking, Mt Biking, surfing & playing golf.
Jeff was diagnosed with stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue on November 8, 2022. This diagnosis was not only devastating but also shocking since he never used tobacco and was only a social drinker. He had a hemiglossectomy, radial forearm flap & neck dissection a week after diagnosis. After going through Chemo and radiation his cancer returned on March 9th. He suffered through three cycles of immunotherapy & two different types of chemotherapy but then the cancer started to grow aggressively again. Jeff & his family researched other options and found a trial at the University of Tennessee. After one cycle of the trial, Jeff’s tumor was continuing to grow out of control.
Jeff didn’t believe for a moment that he couldn’t beat this horrific disease. His positivity and strength during the whole process was extraordinary. Jeff lost his life on August 14, 2023. He will be dearly missed by his family, friends & community.
This disease is brutal and we want to make sure no other families have to endure this kind of suffering. Your donation to the Oral Cancer Foundation is to help with prevention, education, research funding, advocacy, and patient support activities.