Joseph Jeffries

It is with great sorrow that we mourn the death of SCCA member Specialist Joseph A. Jeffries, a 21 year old Beaverton, Oregon native. Jeffries, who participated part time in Solo2 in 2002 and 2003, in H Stock, was one of four soldiers killled in Kandahar, Afghanistan on May 29th when their vehicle ran over a land mine. Jeffries was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and numerous other commendations in honor of his heroic efforts as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Specialist Jeffries (left) enlisted in the Army Reserves in 2002, was assigned to the 320th Psychological Operations Company in Portland, and had previously completed a tour of duty in Bosnia before his deployment to Afghanistan in January, 2004.

Jeffries was an avid racer and fan who also participated in mini-stock dirt track racing at River City Speedway in St. Helens. He'd asked his father to keep his SCCA membership active while he was gone so that someday he would be a 50 year member, and requested copies of Loud Pedal sent overseas so he could keep up with club activities. He was recently married, and leaves behind his wife Betsy - who is expecting the couple's child in October - his father, SCCA member Mark Jeffries, mother Linda Lock, sisters Heidi and Terri, and grandparents Rick and Betty Smith.

Friends of the Jeffries family have created a memorial fund to aid Joey.s wife and unborn child. The family respectfully requests that remembrances be directed to this fund, with checks payable to Jeffries Memorial Fund:

Bank of the Cascades
Pioneer Tower
888 SW Fifth Avenue, #1000
Portland, OR 97204-2024
ATTN: Jeffries Memorial Fund

Click here to download a printable notice of the memorial fund.(PDF format)