Jeffrey M. Sass

Jef Sass, 37, of St. Joseph, passed away on Saturday, April 22, 2006, at his home. A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2006, at 11:00 A.M., at Kerley-Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, MI, with Msgr. Thomas Martin officiating. Burial will be at a later date in Hickory Bluff Cemetery, Stevensville, MI. Friends may call on Wednesday, April 26, 2006, from 5:00 to 9:00 P.M., at the funeral home. Friends are welcome to send flowers for the family or make memorial donations to Jef’s family c/o First Resource Bank, St. Joseph. Friends may send the family a condolence message on-line at www.starks-menchinger.com. Jef was born on March 16, 1969, to Robert “Scott” Sass and Rhonda (Mead) Szymanski in South Bend, IN. He attended Buchanan High School and graduated in 1987. Jef married Kimberly “Kim” Jones on March 10, 1993 in St. Joseph. Together they had two wonderful children, Kaitlyn age thirteen and Hannah age nine. Jef worked for Harmony Press in Bourbon, IN, as a press operator. Jef loved being outdoors, hiking, kayaking and sailing. Jef loved his family and friends and he will be sadly missed by all of them. Jef is survived by his wife, Kim; daughters, Kaitlyn and Hannah; father, Scott (Connie) Sass of Argos, IN; mother, Rhonda (James) Szymanski of Niles, MI; sisters, Sarah Szymanski of Niles, MI, Rhonda (Scott) Birge of Naples, FL, Kim (Mike) Flowers of Punta Gorda, FL, and Ami (Matt) Arent of Rochester, IN; father and mother-in-law, Jim and Pam Grear of Watervliet, MI; grandmothers, Joan Cook of Nappanee, IN, and Henrietta Szymanski of Niles, MI; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Jef was preceded in death by his grandparents Robert and Joyce Sass.