Jeffrey Arthur Miller (J.A.M.) was born in Goleta, Calif., on March 26, 1988. After a long battle with mental health issues, Jeff passed away in his sleep on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014.
He will be missed by his family and friends, who all admired his tenacity, warmth and sense of humor. We miss you terribly, Jeff. You left us too soon [Love, Mom, Dad, and Mike].
As a child, Jeffrey (J.A.M.) was a jamming kid. He’d talk to everyone in the grocery store line. Jeff accomplished much in his 26 years. He played sports, from baseball, football and soccer to wrestling, track and badminton. He scored a touchdown in high school at Dos Pueblos, excelled at running according to a track coach, volunteered at SB Mus Nat Hist, worked tirelessly at summer camp for scouting, and loved animals and children.
He liked helping other people so much that he won awards for that in Scouting and at sports. He was a great rooster in acting class, joined the Renaissance faire actors in California and was a crowd scene extra in the movie Noah.
According to his friends who came to share stories with us, Jeff was smart, funny, caring and helpful — a Super-Man whose kryptonite was chocolate. His favorite color was green, and his favorite music Irish and classical.
While much remains to be done to improve the laws and availability of resources around mental health, we appreciate the efforts put out by mental health workers and others who help those in need.
Private services were held. A heartfelt thank you to the many people who helped Jeff with his struggles.