2.29.2012

KIMMER'S FRIEND JEFF SWOPE PASSED AWAY


Pianist Jeff Swope
Apr 12, 1955-Feb 29,2012

Sadly I lost another friend this month. Today I heard from John Crawford that our dear friend Jeff Swope had passed away. Poor John... he bore the brunt of Jeff's care along with Jeff's dear friends Jim and Evelyn.

Jeff Swope July 1979

Jeff died from complications due to surgery from a brain tumor last October. Jeff was hospitalized for 4 months. Jeff really hated being stuck in the hospital. He is free from that prison at last...

Jeff and I both are from Ypsilanti, Michigan. I knew who he was in school and saw him play keyboards in many bands but we were not close friends until 2008. When I began blogging as Retro: Kimmer Jeff was one of my biggest contributors. He taught me so much about rock n roll and music in general.

Jeff was a big softy as well... He taught me to take a more gentle road... We talked on the phone every night for years. Though Jeff thought he would hate it... I turned him on to Facebook and he loved it. Jeff loved radical politics and loved to argue his beliefs with anyone game to do battle with him! Jeff was always upset if he learned that his views upset anyone else. He was always apologetic... He was a brilliant human being.

I loved Jeff dearly and I know he is finally free...

SWOPE, JEFFREY Pinckney, MI

Age 56, passed away on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 after a short but courageous battle with cancer. Jeff was known affectionately as, "The Breeze," by many friends. An extremely talented musician, Jeff performed with many local musicians spanning four decades. Jeff spent the majority of his life in Washtenaw County, with some time spent in Alpena, Michigan where he graduated high school in 1972 and met many lifelong friends.

He was preceded in death by grandparents, John and Mary Miller whom he dearly loved, and his parents, William Swope and Faythe Miller Webster; cousins and friend, Tom Case. He is survived by his sisters: Liz Swope, Julia Swope and Jamie (John Blunt) Webster; niece, Zora; cousins: Patti Case, Ellen Case, Sandra Clark and many friends and fellow musicians.

His casual and kind nature, surprise visits, gifts of handmade tapes and CDs, comical musings, or just the pleasure of listening to Jeff playing you a tune will all be sorely missed. A brilliant yet humble man whose tongue-in-cheek self-effacing description, "A wizard, a true star!" could not have been more true. A more unique individual we may never meet.

We will miss you Jeff. A Graveside Service will be held Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. at Highland Cemetery, Ypsilanti, Michigan with Pastor Donald Viers officiating. Please sign his guestbook at www.JanowiakFuneralHome.com

For Jeff....I miss you terribly my friend and advisor.. XK



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jeff was a long time friend. We used to play and create music of all sorts. We had soooo much fun in the years back! He was a good and humble guy. I did not see him recently, but really wish I had. Jeff and did not always see things the same politically, but we were true brothers musically in the day.
Bless Brother "Breeze",
Joe "Rock"

Retro Kimmer said...

thanks so much Joe...

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

addtoany