LAFARGEVILLE, NY — Robert W. Jeffries, 74, of State Route 180, LaFargeville, passed away Tuesday, June 15, 2021, at home surrounded by his loving family and under the care of Jefferson County Hospice.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Cleveland Funeral Home, Watertown, NY.
Robert was born on Oct. 21, 1946, in Bellevue, PA, the son of William and Louise Krebs Jeffries. He graduated Lincoln Community HS (Lincoln, Illinois) class of 1965, and graduated with associates degree from Joliet Junior College (Joliet, Illinois) class of 1981.
He enlisted in the Navy on June 23, 1965, to avoid being drafted into the Army during Vietnam. He was honorably discharged on March 22, 1971. During his time in the Navy he learned how to operate a nuclear power reactor. His service included assignment to the USS Enterprise “big-E” at the time of the big fire on Jan. 14, 1969. He was able to capitalize on his service experience with a career at Commonwealth Edison of Illinois (since bought out by Exelon) where he worked as a nuclear reactor operator at Dresden Station just south of Joliet, Illinois until his retirement in 1998. After his retirement from the nuclear power industry, he continued to work as a computer technician setting up, managing and working the help desk for a bank on the south side of Chicago for several years.
Robert was a very private person who had deep passion for Model Railroading which was passed to him by his own father. He had a passion for computers and often used his abilities to build his own computers from various parts and pieces. He also was a volunteer firefighter for the LaFargeville volunteer department from 2012 until his death.
Robert is survived by a daughter, Janice Rusch, Newton, IA; his mother, Louise Jeffries, Watertown, NY; three siblings, John Jeffries of Evans Mills, NY, his older brother; Edward Jeffries, Macomb, Illinois, and Susan Jeffries of South Bend, Indiana, are his younger siblings. He also has four granddaughters and 2 great-granddaughters.
Along with his father, Robert was predeceased by a son; Joseph Jeffries, who died at 41 yrs in May of 2020.
A funeral service will be held 4 p.m. Sunday, June 20, 2021, at the First Baptist Church of Black River 122 Maple Street, Black River, NY 13612 with Pastor John Coulliette officiating. Burial will take place 11 a.m. Monday, June 21, 2021, in Brookside Cemetery, Watertown, NY.
Online condolences may be shared at www.clevelandfhinc.com.