Obituary

Mr . Jeffrey James Thimgan, 21, of Goodyear, Arizona, passed away on Tuesday March 7^th, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. He was born on Thursday, December 7^th, 1995, to Russ Thimgan and Nelly Thimgan in La Junta, Colorado.

Jeffrey was an eagle scout from Troop 99, following the example his older brothers set before him, and he had a passion for exploring the beautiful outdoors. Whether it was canoe trips on the Colorado River, hiking up the plateau of the Superstition Mountains with his father without ropes, taking camping trips to Wet Beaver Creek, or scuba diving in Emerald Bay and in the Florida Keys, he was a lover of all the life he saw around him and never wasted a chance to experience it. He graduated from Millennium High School in 2014, and it was here that he was a part of several organizations. He was the FFA Chapter’s Vice President, and was a starring member of their National Parliamentary Procedures team. He was an inspiring public speaker, and was always proud of his debating skills, since, as he put it, “I was the only debater to ever get a perfect score at state.” He competed at many other competitions, too: Ag Issues, Job Interview, and Ag Sales, to name a few. Each one was indicative of a special characteristic Jeffrey had. Ag Issues demonstrated his drive to be involved, and to excel in all his pursuits– an ambition which he’s carried with him the rest of his life. Job Interview proved that he could forget to submit all his materials to the contest and still get into the final 10 out of 60 on pure public-speaking merit. And Ag Sales proved that, even when half the team had quit, he would stand by his team captain, and sister, no matter what. He also was a part of several sports teams at Millennium, swimming for a year, and running on the Cross-Country Varsity team for a year too. He had a gypsy spirit in him that made him try everything, and that wouldn’t let him stay in one place. He was also a member of HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America), and proved himself yet again to be a star teammate that helped bring our team to nationals while making our whole chapter laugh and turn against each other as he facilitated rounds of “Mafia,” with cards he made himself and an announcing voice you couldn’t replicate. Band and the band community played big roles in his life. He played the trumpet in middle school and the french horn in high school, and met many loyal individuals whom he loved fiercely; he continued talking about them in the years after he graduated.

He loved Theater, and pursued his love of the dramatic arts in college where he was a leading actor in a play named “All In the Timing,” one of his roles being that of Lenin the Revolutionist. He was, as expected, hilarious and moving, with the only repercussion being that every accent he’d try to do thereafter would fall into an exceptional Russian accent. He attended the University of Arizona, first as an Agricultural Economics major, then as a Theater Arts, major, and then as a Creative Writing major. That gypsy spirit never did let him get tied down to one path; there was too much in the world for him to learn to limit himself so greatly. He was the ASUA Student Body Parliamentarian at the University, where, as he’d always say, he’d “protect the will of the majority and the rights of the minority.” He was a part of too much to name all the beautiful things he did. He loved food, he loved the Renaissance Festival, he loved music, he loved trying to win when he played Risk against his dad, he loved plays, especially Alexander Hamilton, he loved his friends, he loved cats, he loved playing in the rain with his mom, he loved books, he loved visiting his grandparent’s ranch in Colorado, he loved working out, he loved arguing, he loved racquetball, he loved paintballing with his brothers, he loved food so much I’ll mention it twice, and he loved people. He loved people with all his heart, and couldn’t stand to see anyone wronged, and wouldn’t stand it if he could. His jokes both made people roll their eyes and cry from laughter, and his wit was always sharp, poignant, and far beyond his years. He’s probably making the powers that be double over with laughter from his terrible jokes today. The force with which he loved the people around him sustains his memory in all our minds, and will make remembering him more beautiful with time.

He is survived by his grandparents Garth and Barbara Thimgan, his parents Russ and Nelly Thimgan, his brothers Paul and Andres Thimgan, his sister Leah Thimgan, and his cousins and extended family across the United States and Ecuador.

A service will be held in Litchfield Park, Arizona, on Saturday, March 11^th at the Church of Litchfield Park (300 N Old Litchfield Rd, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340), with an open casket viewing at 2:00 PM, followed by the service at 3:00 PM, and a reception to be held after. He will be laid to rest in Colorado, and there will be a gathering of friends at the First Church of God (901 Carson Ave, La Junta, CO 81050) on Monday, March 13^th, 2017 at 12:00 PM, and then the burial and graveside service will be held at the Rocky Ford Cemetery (27980 Co Rd 20, Rocky Ford, CO 81067) in Rocky Ford, Colorado, at 2:00 PM with a reception held after by Gary and Ann Thimgan at the Baggage Car in the Rocky Ford Gobin Building (105 North Main Street, Rocky Ford, CO 81067).

We invite all those who knew and loved Jeffrey to attend these services, and to wear white clothes or accessories to honor the bright life he led, and the pure heart he always had. If not possible, we still welcome everyone to come and celebrate his life with us. He will be remembered always.