Ju’Juan Jeffers

Ju'Juan Marquis Jeffers, affectionately known as "Mommy baby butterball," also known as Butter to his friends, left us on October 25, 2025. Born on October 16, 2005, at Christiana Hospital in Newark DE, to Marchelle Hargroves and Grayson Jeffers.
Jujuan's educational journey consisted of Thomas Edison Charter school which he attended from kindergarten to 7th grade where he thrived, earning honors for several marking periods throughout the years. We had a deal that I'd buy him sneakers for every time he got good grades. I didn't know what I was getting myself into because Jujuan had honors a lot I was in the store with him often, but I was proud. Jujuan also played chess for Thomas Edison, and for a short period he had taken karate lessons. After leaving Edison He then went on to AI middle school where he played basketball which was what he loved most in sports, though he did play football for a short period of time as well. Then came high school days where Jujuan attended First State Military academy for three years earning several achievements and also playing basketball. Jujuan didn't like it at first, I had found the school to add more structure, and discipline, most importantly to give him a better education. After a week his attitude changed he became close with one of his marine instructors, and principal Mr.Gallucci. He grew to like the school, and was interested in the military. Jujuan of course, was great at the physical, and protective portion of the program, it's who he was. Jujuan went on to Mckean High School, for his final year which he graduated, and yes again he played basketball, he never cared how bad the teams were, he just wanted to play. He was always passionate about anything he loved.
When jujuan was younger all he wanted to do was ride bikes, he took his own training wheels off at the age of five because he said, "it made him slow." He would ride bikes on the trails with his older brother, and cousins. He loved riding bikes and being with his family.
Jujuan was a beacon of light who shone brightly in the lives of all who knew him. His magnetic charisma made him a born leader, whom people were instinctively drawn towards."In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years," Abraham Lincoln once said. Jujuan was the embodiment of this truth.
Jujuan was a courageous, funny, smart, and charismatic young man. His laughter echoed through the halls of his home. He was no stranger to hard work he would always say, I gotta get some "cheese." Jujuan was a true intellectual, an honor student from elementary through middle school, a chess contest winner, and a third-place recipient in the Dr. Martin Luther King poster contest. His prowess also extended to sports, where he shone as the MVP of the First State Military basketball team.
To Jujuan, family always mattered most. He was a reliable pillar of strength and protection for everyone he held dear. Jujuan lived by the saying Family first, and he would say Ohana Forever, which he says means Family Forever. Jujuan would also always say " I don't count favors." That was something else he lived by as well. If he did something for someone he didn't expect anything back or bring it up. His love for music, driving, and watching favorite TV shows with his mom, were some of the simple joys that filled his life.
Jujuan was always wiser beyond his years and had an unmatched level of ambition. He had dreams of enlisting in the military, and becoming an entrepreneur, planning to start his clothing company, a testament to his smart and determined nature. His unique charm and the swag with which he made words his own were facets of Jujuan that made him one-of-a-kind. His love for photography, basketball, football, and spending time with family and friends brought him immense joy.
He leaves behind treasured memories with his mother, Marchelle Hargroves; father, Grayson Jeffers; sisters, Jaliyah and Terri Jeffers, Zaniyah Jones; and brothers, Grayson and Ju'mari Jeffers. He was preceded in death by his beloved grandparents, Rosalie and Louis Hargroves.
As we mourn the loss of Jujuan, we also celebrate his life and the indelible mark he left on all of us. "Like Martin Luther King taught, light will always overcome the dark-your spirit is that light. Let us keep his memory alive, for in our hearts, he will forever remain.