Jeffrey James Shebesta
June 27, 1977 - August 26, 2020
Obituary
CHICAGO, Ill. – Jeffrey James “Jeff” Shebesta passed away suddenly at home in Chicago, Ill., on Aug. 26, 2020, from a heart attack at age 43. He was born on June 27, 1977, in Madison, Wis., the beloved son of Jim and Lynn Shebesta. He graduated from Verona High School in 1995 and the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1999. He received his law degree from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana in 2002. Currently, Jeff was an Assistant General Counsel for Blue Cross Blue Shield (Mergers and Acquisitions) for Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Jeff went over and above in everything he did. He was the best Dad to his daughter, Emily, 11, and his son, Caleb, 9. He always was looking for ways to teach them and help them with their activities. Emily had her violin lessons and dance. He worked steadily with Caleb to foster his baseball and soccer skills.
Jeff was dedicated to his daily exercise workouts and trained and ran three marathons in the past five years. As a member of Old St. Mary's Parish in Chicago, he taught religious education classes and had just joined the Parish Council.
In addition to his parents and his children, he is survived by his former wife, Kate Shebesta; brother, Kevin (Sarah); nephews, Aaron and Nathan; uncle, Gary (Cheri) Shebesta; aunt, Charlotte Rank; and cousins, Spencer and Paige Shebesta.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CATHOLIC CHURCH, 602 Everglade Drive, Madison, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, with Father Bart Timmerman presiding. The Mass will be LIVE STREAMED starting at 10 a.m. at www.stamadison.org. Burial will be held at Resurrection Cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be held at the church from 8:30 a.m. until the start of the Mass on Saturday.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Chicago KICS football club, www.chicagosfoodbank.org, or Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Gunderson West
Funeral & Cremation Care
7435 University Ave.
(608) 831-6761
Events
Visitation
Sat Sep 5, 2020 @ 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM CDT
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church (Madison) • 602 Everglade Drive, Madison, WI 53717
Mass of Christian Burial
Sat Sep 5, 2020 @ 10:00 AM CDT
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church (Madison) • 602 Everglade Drive, Madison, WI 53717
Photos
Memories
KL
Kimber Lohmann
Other •
I was so shocked and saddened to hear of Jeff's passing. I'm certainly glad I got to know him better when Emily was born. I remember playing cards in the hospital waiting room with Jeff waiting for her to be born and watching him tear up when he first saw her. My heart goes out to Aunt Lynn and Uncle Jim, Emily and Caleb, Kevin and Sarah and the rest of Jeff's friends and family. RIP Jeff.
PK
Pam Katz
Other •
We are so sad to learn of Jeff’s sudden passing . We remember him fondly as a little boy in our son Jeff’s playgroup. It sounds like he grew up to become a fine man. Please accept our sincere condolences . Pam and Fred Katz
DM
David and Gretchen McKeever
Other •
Lynn, Jim, and Kevin..
We are so sorry for your loss. As I was thinking this morning about that word "loss," I realized that it doesn't begin to describe the magnitude of the pain that you must feel as you dip into that deep well of precious memories, of goals that you set out for Jeff and which you watched him achieve, , and of those ongoing hopes and aspirations that you had for him that have now been so abruptly aborted. All of you will have to find a way to move on without Jeff while keeping his memory alive. Therein lies the challenge of grief and loss. We pray that with the help of family, friends, and faith you may find that way forward.
David and Gretchen McKeever
JS
Jason Stampfli
Other •
Jeff and I had a very competitive friendship. We always did our best to win at any sport we participated in. He will be missed. Rest in piece, Jeff and condolences to his family.
B
Beth
Other •
Jeff, Thank you for being such an incredible father for Emily and Caleb. The last few years may not have made it easy for us to stay close, but you will be greatly missed as a piece of our family. Jim and Lynn, Thank you for raising a great man to come into our family. We cannot imagine the heartache you are feeling, and are sending our love and support from Indiana. Love always, Beth and Joe Magura
GC
Gerald L. Collins
Other •
Our prayers are with all of you during this difficult time.
The Collins Family
McKinney, TX