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Jeffery Held Obituary
in Chicago.
Jeff was born in Racine, WI, Dec. 24, 1954, to John and Mary Suzanne Held, and was married to the former Gay Fraker Phillips of Chicago and Nantucket.
He had been awarded more than 20 U.S. and foreign patents pertaining to environmental quality, medical sanitation, highway and airport safety, and product purity.
He was an honors graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1976 and studied at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.
Survivors include his wife, Gay; his father, John, Racine; sisters Lisa Held, Racine, and Wendy Kunz (David), Woodbury, MN; and brother Kurt (Patty), St. Louis, MO.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the RISD Malcolm Grear Endowed Scholarship Fund, Attn: Amanda Wright, 2 College Street, Providence, RI 02903, and the Nantucket Land Council, P.O. Box 502, Nantucket, MA 02554.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Jeffery Held
Lisa Held
October 4, 2023
Miss you
Sean Command
November 22, 2019
Such an amazing mentor and friend. Jeff, I'm going to miss you.
Eileen O'Connell-Swanner
November 12, 2019
There are just no words how to express the void you left so many. I'm sure you're in a much better place having the time of your life. Thank you for being family/friend/boss for the past plus 20 years. We sure did have much laughter and pain over the years. However we always had each other no matter what. Thank you for being such a bright light in my life. You will always have a dear place in my heart until we meet again. Love ya xoxo
October 14, 2019
May the void left by Jeff's passing be filled with memories of the good times. I recall his creative energy as a young neighbor in Racine. My condolences to Wendy, Lisa, and all of Jeff's family and friends. Diann (Kulcinski) Stone Boise, ID
Maren (Kulcinski) Grow
October 14, 2019
Sending the Held family our sincere condolences. There are many fond memories of the family as part of our Wisconsin Avenue neighborhood. May you find comfort in wonderful memories.
Rob Beltz
October 14, 2019
Deepest condolences to all of Jeff's family & friends, I was so sad to hear the news. He was a great man and will truly be missed.
Amy C
October 14, 2019
Jeff will be missed as my next door neighbor. I always appreciated his bluntness, political conversations, and sense of humor. He reminded me of my own father. Rest In Peace.
Jim Schnetz
October 14, 2019
Lisa, Wendy and the Held family,
So very sorry to read of Jeff's passing. I will always have fond memories of our summer vacations together as kids at the "Green Shack."
Wyman Bravard
October 13, 2019
I met Jeffery in 1975 at Katie Street when he was working on a typography project. I was all things science and knew nothing about things like graphics. He proceeded to give me a patient, one hour tutorial about fonts, their history, how they are created, how new fonts are developed and how they are woven into our worlds.
We stayed in touch in the following years. He was always the wonderfully clear and expressive person I met in 1975. He was modest, kind, fiercely loyal, tireless and is one of the best people I ever knew. Anyone who knows him now has an empty space that Jeffery used to fill. No more stories, no more laughter, no more Jeffrey smiles. He's gone and we all be grateful he passed our way, crossed our path, welcomed us into his world. Gods speed Jeffrey. Everyone misses you and always will. Wyman Bravard
Wendy Held Kunz
October 12, 2019
Your spirit and energy live on in all us. Peace, my Brother Jeff.
Susie (Schnetz) Krekling
October 11, 2019
So sad to read about Jeff's passing. What an accomplished man he was. I have wonderful memories of the old days with the Helds and all the South side gang.
Lisa Held
October 11, 2019
I miss you my brother.
I love you.
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