Furuno USA is mourning the passing of Commercial Sales Representative Jeff Shield. Jeff passed away on October 20th, following complications from a recent medical procedure.

Furuno USA is mourning the passing of Commercial Sales Representative Jeff Shield. Jeff passed away on October 20th, following complications from a recent medical procedure.

Jeff was a Delaware native son, always drawn to some kind of service. He joined the USCG at a very young age and worked his way up to Senior Chief ET. In his 21 years of service, Jeff provided mentorship to many young sailors and contributed to the education of many chiefs who followed him. Even during his active USCG service, Jeff found ways to be of service to his community, studying for and passing his EMT exam in his twenties and serving as a volunteer paramedic on a Long Island ambulance crew during one of his deployments. At Furuno, Jeff established a substantial body of technical work as a Marine Service Engineer, performing service and repair on everything from merchant vessels to cruise ships, as well as the many different boats and ships of his "alma mater" Coast Guard fleet. For the past five years, Jeff brought his considerable knowledge and expertise to the Furuno USA sales department as a Commercial Sales Representative for the East Coast and Great Lakes regions. During those five years, Jeff contributed mightily to the fleet navigation retrofit of the Canadian Coast Guard and the fleet renewal of Doppler Speed Logs for his beloved USCG.

Jeff was well-traveled, having cruised extensively in his years, and recently completed multiple cross-country driving adventures, all in service to and in the company of good friends. Jeff always loved a good party and could often be found enjoying a meal with friends and family. Jeff's passing leaves a hole in his family's hearts, and those of his many friends and co-workers here at Furuno. More than just a business associate, Jeff sparked real friendships with so many of those he touched:

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I knew Jeff for many years. He is a nice, kind, humble and helpful man. We so often talked about many aspects of life, family and faith. It is very hard for me to use the word was, which is why I said he IS.

The people you love and respect are never gone from your memories and thoughts. They never vanish, they just pass to an everlasting life. Yet we still miss them no matter what. No matter how strong we are in the faith. I'm so privileged to share my thoughts with you.

Michael Matta
General Manager, GMT Electronics

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Jeff was preceded in death by his parents and is survived by his sisters, Jackie and Diane, his ex-wife Kristen, and his stepdaughter Gabrielle.

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