Obituary of Jeffrey William Maring

Jeffrey William Maring passed away in the early hours of February 15, 2021 at the age of 37. He is survived by his parents and stepparents, Ron and Wendy Maring and Carol and David Harris, his siblings Jackson, Kyle and Hannah, his step-siblings Lindsay, Michael, Riley & Carter, and by a large extended family of relatives and friends in Colorado, New York, Washington and England.

First Corinthians tells us that “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” To tell Jeff’s story is to tell the story of a person who lived life with much love in his heart and who sought to bring love and light to others.

Jeff loved God. He aspired to live up to the Christian values he held in high esteem by living a righteous life. He regularly read the Bible and attended services at Flatirons Church. Jeff aspired to use his medical training to participate in medical mission trips to impoverished countries. He wrote a mission statement for himself about this. His mission, he said, was to “bring the Word of God on a global scale, while using my years of healthcare experience to assist in bringing free healthcare to impoverished and third world countries.” He was inspired by the book, The Purpose Driven Life, and by scripture, such as 1 Peter 5, which says “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve.”

Jeff loved his family. He loved to go fishing with his dad, make burgers on the grill with his mom and Bruce Springsteen concerts with his siblings. Jeff had a large group of friends; he considered these friends to be brothers. His friendships lifted him up and carried him through good times and bad for more than 25 years of his life.

Jeff loved his work as a medical assistant at Rocky Mountain Kidney Center and earlier at Broomfield Family Practice and Sage Medical.. Jeff was amazing at his job because he saw healthcare and helping others as his purpose. No one could put a patient at ease like Jeff could. Whether from a kind word, a funny joke or just by showing the patient respect and consideration, Jeff could get even the most nervous of patients through their appointment with ease. He was appreciated by his co-workers for being diligent, hard-working and fun. His gregarious and positive energy was contagious and helped those doing important work, God’s work, do it well.

Jeff loved the Denver Broncos. He took game preparation very seriously. Before each game, Jeff painted his face orange and blue, put on one of the many Broncos jerseys he owned, and selected a Broncos hat and pair of shoes from his large collection carefully and thoughtfully. He enjoyed tailgating with his best friends before games. Jeff loved to cheer the Broncos on from the South Stands, basking in their success and the Mile High sunshine.

Jeff loved to go fishing. He loved to fish with his dad at several lakes and rivers in the mountains. He was delighted when his dad chose a home in Montrose right next to a beautiful and fish-packed river. He also loved to fish with his friends. He and his buddies would fish at Barker Reservoir or Pruitt Reservoir after work or at the weekends. He had recently discovered he could fish for enormous carp at Ketner Lake. He loved to camp along Switzerland Trail. Jeff was at peace when he could enjoy the majesty of Colorado’s natural beauty.

Jeff loved to laugh. And, oh, what a laugh he had. His laugh would fill a whole room with joy. Jeff was funny and silly his whole life. As a child, he drove his sibling nuts by chewing on every remote and Nintendo cable with which he came into contact. He loved Karate Kid; he wore the Ralph Macchio costume every day (he cried when it had to be washed) and recited every line from the movie. Later he could recite the lines from a variety of movies – Friday, Dumb and Dumber, Half Baked, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and many more. Even as he grew, he retained a variety of silly nicknames when he was with his friends. He was just as likely to answer to Schmeff, Schmeffleberry, Jefe, or Lil’ Jeffy Poo as his given name. He cracked jokes all the time. He loved to make others laugh too.

Despite all this love and all that Jeff brought to the world, he also struggled. Jeff struggled with drugs and alcohol for much of his adult life. It was this struggle that ultimately took him from the world too soon and before he had done all that he wanted to do on Earth. His family is deeply saddened that because of drugs and alcohol, he left before he had fulfilled his personal mission. They are saddened to no longer hear his amazing laugh, nor to hear the next funny story he was eager to share. They are comforted in knowing that he is at peace and with God.

A memorial service for Jeff will be held at Flatirons Church in Lafayette, CO at 10:00 am on March 3, 2021. The service will also be livestreamed at www.flatironschurch.com/memorial. All who loved Jeff are welcome to attend in person or online. Jeff’s family welcomes donations to YWAM Medical Ships (www.ywamships.org) as an expression of sympathy instead of flowers. Jeff had intended to attend YWAM’s Global Health DTS program. All donations made in Jeff’s name will be used to support another healthcare professional attending this program and participating in medical outreach to impoverished countries in South Asia.