Jeffrey Scott Arick was a special son, brother, husband, father, and uncle. His first grandson, Elijah Knox, was born April 17, 2023. Jeff had his faults, but we can’t remember what they were. He was a kind and happy child and always had a smile on his face.

Jeff was an outstanding athlete. Soccer was his game. He played on his high school team and on a club team. His coach gave him the nickname “Scrap Iron” because of his hustle.

Jeff’s dream was to have a family. That dream came true! He married a sweet girl named Stephanie, who had two children, Rayven and Garrett, and they had a third child, Mackenzie. They all loved their dad. He loved them back and made them laugh with his sense of humor. Rayven called Jeff her “bonus dad.”

Jeff worked hard and loved his work. In his 17 years as a Memphis firefighter and paramedic, we never heard him complain about his job. We always worried about him and his fellow firefighters. If we heard of a fire somewhere, we would rush to the refrigerator where his schedule was posted to see if he was at work.

When he was not at work, it was family time. Regardless of how tired he was, if one of the kids wanted to kick soccer balls, pitch a baseball, go to the park, or just sit and talk, he was always there. He liked to hang around the pool and cook meals on the grill. He enjoyed attending the kids’ events such as football, baseball, volleyball, soccer, and gymnastics. He loved playing with the family dogs, especially Mia, a dog he didn’t want. He loved watching TV shows about cars. He probably fantasized about having a ’57 Chevy. He loved Star Wars! Yoda was his favorite character. Jeff loved the beach. We went every summer as a family. He was the first up every morning and the last in. He loved getting up early and walking down the beach.

Jeff was a good cook and wanted to have a menu that everyone at the firehouse liked. His specialty was baked spaghetti. Sometimes for dessert he would ask his parents to make a banana pudding. He cooked on the last shift a week before his untimely death. The day before his death, we stopped by and picked up a clean banana pudding bowl. Oh, how we miss that!

2020 is a year we will never forget. In May of 2020, Jeff graduated from nursing school. His plan was to continue his firefighter career until retirement and then begin work as a nurse. In July of 2020, he and his family were on vacation with us at the beach. On August 8, 2020, he passed away from work-related causes.

We love you, Jeff, and will miss you every day!