Obituary of Jeff Jeffcoatt

Jeffcoatt, Jeff (Roger Keith), passed away peacefully at home on August 25, 2024, with his wife Debbie at his side and an amazing view of Glayva II through the window. Jeff battled cancer with the most amazing grace, courage and strength. He lived every day with positivity, a big smile and had an amazing laugh.

Jeff was born on October 8, 1943, in Coventry, England. He immigrated to Canada in January 1968. He was very proud to pay $10.00 to become a Canadian Citizen in April 1975. Jeff married Debbie, his love and light, on December 15, 1975. Survived by his loving wife Debbie, son Steven (his mom Barbara) and his wife Shannon Joyce and grandchildren Ryan, Isla and Adam, his niece-in-law Tina and great nephew Joshua. He will be missed by his sister-in law “Fran” who delivered homemade treats for every race, his boss Romina Facchini of Statis Inc, who he joined in 2016 instead of retiring.

Jeff’s passion for sailing started in 1974 at The Boulevard Club, when he purchased Shark # 137. Just a year later, he was awarded the Most Improved Sailor Award, marking the beginning of an illustrious sailing career. In 1979 he moved to Mimico Crising Club, for a dock and the chance to buy a bigger boat. All of Jeff’s boats bore the name “Glayva II”, a nod to the Gaelic word for “goes smoothly”, inspired by the scotch liqueur.

Throughout his years on the water, Jeff sailed several distinguished vessels, including Shark 137, a C&C 27 MK III, and later a C&C 34 to race in the most competitive onedesign fleet on Lake Ontario. In 2004, he transitioned to a C&C 37, seeking more space, hot water, and diesel for cruising, yet he never lost his love for racing, maintaining his commitment to the annual two-week cruise.

Jeff’s dedication and skill on the water led to numerous podium finishes representing MCC across Lake Ontario and the Caribbean. Among his most notable victories were the J.G. Murray Challenge Cup at RCYC, the Youngstown Level Regatta, Easter Seals Regatta, MCC Champion of Champions, and the prestigious MCC Boat of the Year. His incredible crew, including Steve Benham, Tiffany Hall, John Kooy, Mark Fawcett, and Debbie, shared in these achievements, ensuring that Glayva was always a formidable contender on the water.

The Glayva Family” is vast, and if you ever raced on Glayva, you were adopted into it. Jeff also served as MCC Fleet Captain and was an active member of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary from 1985 to 2001, contributing to Search and Rescue operations and Boating Safety.

In the late 80’s Jeff purchased his waterfront condominium at Marina Del Rey Phase One and was its first Board President.

In his professional life, Jeff was a respected Professional Engineer and Building Design Specialist, specializing in Reserve Fund Studies and Performance Audits for condos. He will be remembered for his teaching for the Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario (ACMO) at Humber and Mohawk College. His knowledge and expertise will live on through the manuals he wrote and updated for the course. He served on the White Paper Advisory panel concerning mould in high-rise fan coil units and was a member of the Professional Engineers Ontario Committee that established Guidelines for Preparation of Performance Audits and Reserve Fund Studies. Jeff was Co-Chair on the award-winning IHSA Service Sector Management-Labour Committee, representing ACMO and the Canadian Condominium Institute-Toronto.

To honor Jeff’s memory, his wife Debbie Jeffcoatt will be hosting a Celebration of Life on Sunday, September 8th, from 2 PM to 4 PM at Mimico Cruising Club, 200 Humber Bay Park Road West, Etobicoke, M8V 3X7. You are invited to join us in remembering and celebrating Jeff’s life and the impact he made on our community.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider making a donation to Monica Doeden’s Ride to Conquer Cancer. Funds raised through The Ride directly benefit The Princess Margaret, one of the world’s top five cancer research centers, and will help move us closer to the vision of conquering cancer in our lifetime. To donate go to: https://supportthepmcf.ca/ui/Ride25/p/monicadoedens