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Jeffrey Neipris |
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Jeffrey Neipris |
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Jeff died at age 77, on October 14, 2024.
...... The Neipris family has been a well established Sharon family for many years - Jeff's Mom graduated from Sharon High School when it was still in the Wilbur School. Jeff and his two younger brothers Steve and Alan, all completed their high school training in the building on Pond Street, and his niece, Alison McGrath & nephew Jonathan Neipris are proud members of the SHS class of 2002 & 2006, respectively. Alison is now a school counselor in Milton, but always felt a strong connection with her Uncle Jeff. We spoke with her to try to put together some basic information about Jeff's life and she was very cooperative, suggesting that our project to honor fallen classmates is something that her class might try to implement in the future. We have taken her enthusiasm and added it to a very moving eulogy which she composed which you will see below. We are very grateful to her for helping to give us a more meaningful picture of the life of a very introspective person. Most of his high school acquaintances will recall Jeff as something of a private individual. After high school, he attended Boston University and then traveled for a while in Israel. He was always a voracious reader and consistently very good with words. Over the years he worked as a copywriter with his uncle and at times wrote for the Boston Globe. He also produced content which was used on the radio. At various points he also worked in different capacities in the family business, Polychem USA in Foxboro, which under his father's leadership, engaged in buying and selling plastic scrap materials. Jeff seemed to drift in and out of various occupations, often searching for a job that was interesting and innovative. By the early 1980's he had moved to New York where he lived alone in the Bronx. He never married. From time to time his family would encourage him to return to Sharon, but he always demurred, preferring a very quiet life in the anonymity of the big city. During his years in New York, he held to his Jewish faith, but was also increasingly interested in Buddhism which he studied in detail. He became close to many in the Buddhist community. He was also a founding member of JACS, a Jewish organization which helps recovering alcoholics, and served on its Board of Directors for many years. He was interested in Adyashanti, a form of guided meditation, and he led retreats and workshops and meditation groups. He encouraged those around him, including by long distance his niece, but always insisted on having his own space. Sadly, in October 2024, he suffered a fall while walking in New York which lead to his untimely death. He is buried in Sharon Memorial Park. ...... The following is the eulogy that Jeff Neipris' niece Alison McGrath wrote about her Uncle Jeff... Uncle Jeff, I feel confident you are finally resting in peace. You have left so much a mystery even until the very end and we have worked hard to piece it together. However, as private as you were, you put so much love into this world. I believe your anonymity in a city as big as New York gave you a fresh beginning, peace & healing. Those who knew you know that you had incredible skills as a writer and copywriter. You were witty and had a sense of humor/ sarcasm that was so much appreciated. After my wedding, I reached out to ask you for your address to send you a thank you note. You reminded me that I had already sent you a thank you note about 10 days prior. You then went on to say that if I sent another note, you would think that I really, really liked the gift a lot. You wanted to help others, and you were so interested in my journey to help others. You had an impact on those who needed you. It is truthfully quite impressive that for as long as you lived in New York, your love for the Red Sox never waivered. Things weren’t always easy, and I think at times you were misunderstood. You always told me one day you would share your story with me, which always left me curious for more. While we never got that opportunity, I am slowly piecing the puzzle together with you in my memory and heart. You were always connected to your Jewish heritage but also found peace and comfort in Buddhist Philosophy and meditation which is something that I practice with my students daily. I will carry you with me everytime I practice and teach mindfulness. Despite your physical distance, you were following along with our lives. You once commented on our Facebook friendship by saying “ I've enjoyed every minute of it. Learned a lot too.” Looking back, that surprised me, because we didn’t talk all that often. Last February on my birthday you wrote My favorite niece (I was his only niece), mother, teacher, author and parent. You truly followed along and that gave me comfort. Anytime I met someone from Sharon and shared my maiden name Neipris, most people recognized the name because of Jeff, even though he had two brothers. I think I randomly met a former girlfriend in a frame shop. Encounters like this would happen often. I know people feel so fortunate to have known you and loved you. We had the chance to travel to Israel together many years ago. You always fascinated me that most of the journey was captured by you behind a camera lens. It wasn’t until later that I realized the gift that you gave all of us. We still have access to the videos and memories more than 20 years later. You have left a legacy. It was quiet and humble, but you have planted seeds of kindness and compassion that will benefit generations to come. One of the final messages Jeff shared was a quote by Eckhart Tolle that said “You attract and manifest whatever corresponds to your inner state.” The experiences and situations you draw into your life are largely reflective of your current internal emotional and mental state; if you are feeling positive, optimistic, and aligned with your true self, you tend to attract positive experiences, while a negative inner state can attract negative experiences. When you think of Jeff, think of this message. Recently, I keep coming across the Yiddish word beshert (pronounced bah-SHARE'T) which means "destiny" or "fate". In Jewish culture, the world can be described as any event that seems to be divinely ordained, such as running into an old friend you were just thinking about. In this case, I keep coming back to this word for your final days. While that might seem strange and your death was untimely, the way in which I personally learned of your passing was Beshert. You wanted me to know more about you, and as I am putting the pieces together, I wonder if this is truly the way things were meant to be. I feel empowered and intrigued to learn more. I spent a lot of time trying to understand your final moments, and it gives our family great comfort to know that you had the kindest doctors by your side. In Jeff’s memory I ask you all to share loving kindness. Please repeat after me:
May I be happy
Jeff, may you be happy For all living beings, may you be happy, be well, peaceful and at ease. Rest easy Uncle Jeff, you will be missed, and your legacy will live on through all of the good that you have been into the world.
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