Jeffrey Wall

1942 - 2023

Jeffrey Wall
May 14, 1942 - December 23, 2023
Jeff passed away from complications of Parkinson's Disease on December 23, 2023, at home in Soquel with his family by his side. He was 81 years old.
Jeff was born May 14, 1942, to Jean Baer Wall and George Harter Wall in Akron, Ohio, and grew up in Santa Ana, Calif. He graduated Santa Ana High School in 1960. Jeff then went to college at Humboldt State where he graduated with a degree in biology in 1965. While at Humboldt State, he fortuitously met Tom Preston who became a lifelong best friend. Shortly after he met Tom, he met Tom's sister Susan Preston who, in 1965, became Susan Wall.
Susan and Jeff had two children, Julie and Daniel Wall. They lived in San Diego, where he worked as a toxicologist until 1974 when they moved to San Francisco so that Susan could attend UCSF Medical School. Jeff worked as a toxicologist at UCSF for 30 years. Following the 2004 birth of their grandson, Thomas Jeffrey Thornton, Jeff and Susan moved to Soquel, Calif., to be near family.
Jeff was a lifelong runner. He ran to work in San Francisco, ran home from work, and ran when he wasn't at work. In 1982, he set an American record in the 50K road race (40-49 age division) with a time of 3:00:00. The record held for 30 years. He completed the Western States 100-mile ultra-marathon with a time of 22:13:15 in 1985.
Shortly after he arrived in Soquel, Jeff joined the Santa Cruz Bird Club. He was a member of the "300 Club" having recorded sightings of 344 different bird species within Santa Cruz County. He was once viewing a Mountain Plover when a Rough-Legged Hawk flew overhead, a special moment for him.
Jeff is survived by wife, Susan Wall, MD; daughter and son-in-law, Julie Wall Thornton and John Thornton; grandson, Thomas Jeffrey Thornton; sister, Nancy Warren (John Wilson); and brother-in-law and best friend, Thomas Preston (Karla Preston). Jeff was preceded in death by his son, Daniel Wall in 2021.
As Tom Preston said, "He was the best friend anyone ever had."