Jan 21, 2011, 5:56 AM
Post #1 of 13
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Jeff Colley
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Just got the word that Jeff Colley, a long time Palatka jumper, passed away this morning. Jeff took his FJC there, got all of his ratings, and later managed the DZ for many years. He sometimes came off as a little gruff, but he loved his freinds, and like many of us, skydiving profoundly changed his life. I was lucky to know and work with him.
How did Jeff die? This is the first I've heard of it. He did an AFF jump for me and my son about 5 years ago, and I've seen him on several trips to Palatka. I'm sorry to hear about his passing. My condolences to the family.
Mike Sanes
skymama (D 26699)
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Jan 21, 2011, 6:37 AM
Post #4 of 13
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Very sad news, indeed. He was the cameraman for my son's first tandem; he did a great job! My thoughts are with his family and his Palatka family today.
Thank you for being patience and teaching me how to skydive and for being there when I was attempting to do things that would have led to my demise. Thank you for taking the time to teach me how to fly a rock steady camera to film peoples first skydive. Thank you for teaching how to pull off some awesome CRw jumps with 2 Stilettos and a Velocity. Thank you for being the first person to walk out to the landing area and tell someone when they were endangering my life and most of all thank you for being my friend, I will miss you.
There are no one that Jeff came in contact with that are not better for the experience. Jeff may have ruffled a feather or two with his not-so-subtle approach, nor his starkly honest personality, but he truly wanted everyone to do better at whatever they tried to do. I was one of Jeffs best friends for better than 15 years, and I have seen him give so freely of himself time and time again to help someone out. "Dude, you are going to kill yourself doing that dumb shit, why not try this instead?" Even when I was teaching Jeff to be a skydiver, he was teaching me to be a better person. Jeff, Peter Draper and I survived some things that are still not to be believed to this day, and Jeff was always Jeff. There is a nothing in my heart and soul that will forever be there that losing my friend brought on. Jeff, I loved you and afmired you for so many things, and cherish your friendship as one of the best things in my life. Pam made it possible for Jeff to go out with dignity, and peace in his heart. He died with his boots on, and was comfortable at the end. Your friend and admirer Ralph
