Jeffery boettner

I met Jeff at the Sail Bar And Grill near his home on Davis Island and TGH, where my then 3 year old daughter was in the middle of a thankfully successful course of treatment for leukemia. (At the time the outcome was uncertain, and the Tx schedule terrible.) He had tickets to a Bucs game and we went, becoming fast friends along the way. Jeff was soon a member of our family and basically our entire support system here in Tampa since we were a military fam on a deployment and knew no one. My daughter loved him and called him "Mister Jeff!" When we bought a house here it was Jeff who helped us move - for days. Jeff became my guide to Tampa and to the diversion I so desperately needed at a difficult time. He knew where all the best food and drink was. He knew all the bartenders and waitstaff by name, what to order where, and where the wine was! What I would like to tell you about my friend Jeff is something few folks know, and what gives me comfort after the grief of his loss: After Jeff showed me the ropes around town, I turned him on to kayaking. Jeff had found his element! We left the bars behind and took to the water - with gusto. It was around this time Jeff's boss threatened his job. Jeff's response was true to form: "Kiss my ass!" And just like that, Jeff was a part-time dog rescuer and full time kayaker. Jeff spent the last year or more of his life in FL on vacation - an epic vacation. We ranged as far north as Honeymoon Island all the way south to Beer Can Island, and hit every beach in between. We explored the mangrove mazes, rivers, lagoons, and little islands. Jeff got lean and tan. He founded the Kumbaya Kayak Club, sought sponsorship from Jai Alai Beer, and adopted the boat name "Blaze". He was happy as hell! We still went out afterwards for top-shelf drinks and fine dining of course. We went to Bucs, Rays, and Bolts games, but Jeff had got the salt in his blood, and was in the end an accomplished outdoorsman obsessed with the next new place to discover. He had even established a fixed island camp as a base from which to strike at the waterside restaurants, and for a while considered taking up full-time residence there! He waited until the last possible moment to get back to work, and when he did we were pained by his leaving. We were happily anticipating his return when we learned the heartbreaking news. Today I am comforted by the fact that the capstone of my friend's life is defined not by how it ended, but by the triumph of a human spirit on an adventure of rebirth few will ever get to experience, and that he was my friend. We love and miss you, Mister Jeff.