Support Travis Jeffords's Memorial and Household Expenses

Dear friends & family,

Travis Jeffords, beloved father, husband, son, brother, friend, and counselor, brilliant composer, musician, and poet, died unexpectedly Sunday morning (10/13/2024) after a long struggle with bipolar disorder. He is survived by his wife, Ashlee, his parents Angelica and Chuck, his brother John, and his two young daughters, Roxie and Simone.

The family is asking for your support. Your contribution will help cover funeral expenses, medical bills incurred in the lead up to Travis's untimely departure, and other miscellaneous expenses. Please share this with your networks as you're able.

Travis's memorial service is scheduled for 10:00 AM, Saturday, November 2nd at Grace United Methodist Church in Greensboro, NC. See the flyer at the bottom of this post for more details, including QR codes linking more information on the town of Greensboro, resources to learn more about bipolar disorder, and a MealTrain organized for the family by local friend/superhero, Emily Linden, where you can direct additional support. (Note: the flyer is difficult to read directly from this campaign page. For a larger, readable view, right-click the image and select Open image in new tab.) For those who would like to attend virtually, the service will be livestreamed from the GUMC YouTube channel. (The stream will be available from the channel at 10AM EST, coinciding with the start of the service.)

Travis was a beautiful, gentle soul, and I know I speak for all who knew him when I say that we miss him dearly. I'll close with a quote from the man himself, sampled from lyrics to my personal favorite song of his, The Ground Shakes With Your Heartbeat (c. 2005). This is Travis at his most hopeful, curious, and open-hearted, the Travis I saw shine through every day that I knew him.

We know we've got questions when answers

Seem hard to come by

But I know I'm not giving up.

When there's a Love as old as the sunrise,

Stretching high as the mountains

And wider than my doubts and disbelief?

The ground shakes with Your heartbeat

We love you, Travis. Our grounds are shaking today.

October 21, 2024 Update:

My friends, we are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from Travis & Ashlee's community. In just 5 days, we surpassed our initial fundraising goal of $25,000. The generosity shown is a reflection of how many lives those two touched over the years, and how much we celebrate and appreciate their impact.

Unfortunately, new expenses have come to light in recent days, and it's become clear the initial goal will not adequately cover them. The HVAC system at Ashlee's house broke down, and Ashlee and the girls have been using space heaters at night to stay warm. Even with a home warranty, the cost to replace it is $4000.

As a result, we've upped the target to $28,350. This reflects the additional $4000 minus $650 raised by another GoFundMe for household cleaning and lawncare expenses set up by a local Greensboro friend, Michael Berens. (Michael has since closed that fund and directed potential contributors to this fund.)

Once again, thank you so much for your support. Your love uplifts and sustains.

October 23, 2024 Update:

The generosity of this community continues to awe. Less than a day after posting about the new HVAC expense, it was covered. I have no adequate words, but thank you all the same. As we continue to climb well past our funding goal, know that every contribution, kind note, or quiet thought of love and support is a blessing to Travis's family and his memory.