Jeffrey D. R. Schlyer

It is with deep sadness that we share the sudden loss of Jeffrey Schlyer, who died in a tragic bike accident on January 7, 2023. Jeff was a beloved son, brother, boyfriend, uncle, grandson, and friend to many across his community. He had a kind soul and a big heart, and saw the world through a magical lens.
Jeffrey was born to Bruce Schlyer and Sabine Ruppel on April 17, 2000, along with his twin sister Elizabeth Schlyer. He spent the first six years of his life in Davis, California, before his family relocated to New Milford, Connecticut. There, he was raised by his mom and her partner, Delphine Collin, who was not only a parent to Jeffrey, but ultimately one of his greatest friends and confidants. When he was 13, he suffered the loss of his father, a devastating event that deepened his already strong bond with his twin sister.
Jeff graduated from New Milford High School in Connecticut in 2018. During high school, Jeff was an avid rower and placed second at Youth Nationals three times. In 2016, he competed as a member of the U.S. National Youth Rowing Team in Rotterdam with his doubles partner and good friend Conor.
Jeffrey started at Brown in Fall 2018 and was due to graduate in May 2023. At Brown, he made many deep and lasting friendships. When the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the campus, Jeff moved to Jackson, WY, with two of his best friends, Francis and Matteo. They spent as much time as possible on the slopes and exploring the great outdoors (in between Zoom classes of course). In the summer of 2020, he met Elvira and they fell in love. His family knew that she would be a big and lasting presence in his life. The two of them made countless memories in Providence, where he loved to cook vegetarian dinners and tend to their house plants. They also shared a passion for the outdoors, and enjoyed many hiking and camping trips together. Jeff was a doting and supportive partner. Jeff's friend group and girlfriend were lucky to spend the last 3 semesters back together at Brown, a time they will forever look back on fondly.
Jeffrey was an incredibly dynamic person with a wide range of interests. He had a deep love of music and spent hours curating the perfect playlists and doing deep dives into lyrics and beats. He loved historical societies and libraries, and spent time interning at the New Milford Historical Society during high school and working at the Rockefeller Library during college. He had a deep appreciation of art, and dreamed of being a museum curator. He was an avid cyclist; his girlfriend joked that there were always new bike parts arriving in the mail. Above all else, from the time he was a little boy, he loved nature. In recent years Jeff had made it a priority to spend as much time outside as possible. Whether it was snowboarding with his friends in Wyoming, hiking in New Hampshire, or camping in Maine, he loved to explore and felt at peace in nature.
Jeffrey was the best brother to his twin sister, Elizabeth, and older sister, Jillian. His sisters adored him for all his quirks and his ability to make them laugh at any moment. In 2021 he became an uncle to Jones, and Jillian and Dante will forever hold in their hearts the memories they have of Uncle Jeff with Jones. Jeff's family is so grateful that they were able to spend so much time with him recently at Thanksgiving in California and Christmas in Massachusetts, and for all the other moments they shared with him over his 22 years of life. No amount of time would have been enough with our Jeffy. Forever in our hearts and in the air we breathe.
He is survived by his mothers, Sabine and Delphine, his grandmother Ulrike, his twin Elizabeth, his sister Jillian and brother-in-law Dante, and his girlfriend Elvira. Jeff was preceded in death by his father, Bruce.
A memorial service for Jeffrey will be held at the John Hay Library in Providence on Sunday, January 15 at 1pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations in Jeffrey's honor to The Trust For Public Land.