Hello everyone,

March 2nd is now upon us and is has been five years since Jeff passed away.  While I haven’t been very vocal on the site to date, I continue to be involved in all aspects.  I’ve enjoyed seeing everyone’s involvement with our new official site as you remember Jeff, his talent and what a wonderful man he was.  This day is always the hardest one in the year for me but with the support of family, friends and fans like all of you, it makes it a little bit easier.

The support from fans through our website, facebook and really, all over the world, not only reminds me of what a difference Jeff made, it shows his children what a difference he made as well.  While the loss of Jeff will always be difficult and we will continue to miss him dearly, we are lucky enough to have memories through conversations, photos and live footage throughout his life.  Then there’s his music.  Music is an integral part of my immediate family, as it is for many of you. With many thanks to in-akustik and all involved, the recently released collection ‘As The Years Go Passing By’ marks the fifth anniversary of Jeff’s passing in such a great way.  We are very fortunate that Jeff has left us so much of himself through his music.   As a result, he indeed will always be with us.

Jeff was a remarkable man.  He was a person who really loved life, loved a challenge… and loved to laugh.  I believe these qualities allowed him to pursue his dreams and tell the world “I think I’ve got something you should listen to.”  These qualities also allowed Jeff to not only set an example, but to set a standard of what one person can do, with determination and confidence to face the world on their terms, regardless of any disability.

Along with the enjoyment of his record collection, Jeff loved to play with his children, play cards, eat Cheezies and wear his fuzzy slippers.  The year he passed away, it was a shock for me how public everything was.  After all to me, he was my husband and not the famous musician.  I was, admittedly resentful at first, as most people usually grieve privately.  Jeff was never the stereotype of a celebrity and I think that’s why everything came as such a shock to me.

Now, five years later, I am so grateful that he was and continues to be so publicly remembered.   I’ve learned so much more about of how Jeff affected people when he was here.  While there may have been a time when it was difficult to hear stories, it gives me sheer joy hearing from people about their fantastic experiences with Jeff.

I will be going to visit Jeff today, as I always do on this day.  While I’m quite confident he already knows, I’ll be sure to tell him, “they’re still listening”.

So, on behalf of myself and the Healey Family, I thank you for your support, wonderful stories, memories and most importantly… not forgetting.

Sincerely,

Cristie Healey