David J. Jeffries, 92, formerly of Centre Hall and State College, was residing at HeartFields Assisted Living Center in Cary, North Carolina when he went to join his Lord and Savior on October 20, 2007.
David was born March 15, 1915, in Coaldale, Schuylkill County, PA a son of the late James Jacob and Margaret Greene Jeffries.
In August 1939, he married the former Lillian M. Zimmerman who resides with their son and his wife in Cary, NC; they were married 68 years.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Jeffries is survived by a daughter Shawnie Olson and her husband Alan of Homer, Alaska; one son, Dr. Jeffrey D. E. Jeffries and his wife Cathy of Cary, NC; three grandchildren, David J. Jeffries II and his wife Laurie, Dr. James Holdermann and his wife Dr. Heather Holderman, and Evy Olson; and three great grandchildren, David James Jeffries III, Hunter James Holdermann and Sydney Holdermann.
David graduated from Coaldale High School and from Eckel's School of Embalming and Mortuary Science in Philadelphia. He also completed courses at Penn State University enabling him to obtain a real estate license.
Mr. Jeffries served in the U. S. Navy during World War II from 1942 to 1945. Early in the war, he served in New York; later in the war at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital as a Corpsman, and prior to leaving the Navy, he served as a Navy embalmer.
After returning from World War II, he purchased the former F. V. Goodhart Funeral Home and Furniture Store in Centre Hall. Following several expansions, he changed the name to Jeffries Funeral Home and Furniture Mart, and owned and operated the business until his retirement in 1981.
Always active in church, community and patriotic associations and organizations, he was a leader of the former St. John's Evangelical United Brethren Church in Centre Hall and was active in helping the E. U. B., Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches merge in to what is now known as Grace United Methodist Church. He served as Sunday School Superintendent in both the E. U. B. and Grace United Methodist Churches. He was a founder of the Centre County Men's Chorus in which he sang tenor. He also sang in other Centre County Men's groups including the Pine Grove Mills Men's Chorus. He was a member of the Disabled American Veterans, serving as Chaplain for several years. For many years he was active in the Centre Hall Lions Club serving two terms as president, and frequently assisted the club with the town Christmas lighting project. He also held memberships in the Free and Accepted Masons (Blue Lodge in New York, Consistory in Williamsport, and the Jaffa Shrine Temple in Altoona) and the Centre County Shrine Club where he often provided tickets and transportation to the annual Shrine Circus for school children in the local area. Mr. Jeffries also started the Centre Hall ambulance club and coordinated drivers for this service for the first two years. As a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association, and the Central Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association, he served in multiple leadership positions and on various committees as well has having served one term as president of the local association. He was granted life membership status to the Central Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association and received a special award as a result of having been a continuous member for over fifty years.
In addition to his devotion to community activities, David enjoyed music and travel; especially his trips to Alaska and North Carolina to visit family and his trip to Wales where he reconnected with his heritage.
Funeral services will be held at Grace United Methodist Church, 127 S. Pennsylvania Ave. Centre Hall, PA at 2:00 PM Tuesday, October 23, 2007, with the Rev. Judith Hulslander and the Rev. Jack Otto officiating. Friends will be received immediately following the funeral services at the church.
Burial will be at Sky View Memorial Park near Tamaqua, PA at the convenience of the family.
The family wants to recognize the loving care provided by the staff of HeartFields Assisted Living in Cary and Heartland Home Healthcare and Hospice. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Mr. Jeffries' memory may be made to any of the following: Grace United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 292, Centre Hall, PA 16828; HeartFields Assisted Living in Cary at 1050 Crescent Green Drive, Cary, NC 27518 or Heartland Home Care and Hospice at 3117 Poplarwood Court, Suite #114 Raleigh, NC 27604.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Mr. Jeffries successor, Mark D. Heintzelman Funeral and Cremation Services, 226 S. Pennsyvlania Ave., Centre Hall, PA.
A guest book can be signed or condolences sent to the family at www.heintzelmanfuneralhome.com