Jeffrey Marshall

Jeffrey Marshall of Rotterdam, NY, entered into eternal rest on February 5, 2023 at the age of 72, surrounded by his loving family and by the grace of God. Born in Niskayuna, Jeff was the son of the late Lawrence and Helen (Fennell) Marshall.

Jeffrey was active in his community and had the uncanny ability to fix anything and everything, invent, build, and find a creative solution to any problem. He was a passionate gardener, lover of music, an enthusiast of cars, and a humble servant of God through his Methodist faith. Jeff spent a lifetime lifting the spirits of those who knew him. At the best and worst of times, his dad jokes and humor could always lighten the mood. If he could, he would be sure to tell everyone at his funeral that it is a “grave” affair and would thank the Bonds Family for being the last ones to “let him down.”

Jeff was a proud graduate of The Draper School in 1968 and Hudson Valley Community College in 1970, where he met the love of his life while their cars sat side by side at a stop light on Route 7. After graduation, Jeff worked for General Electric as a Senior Draftsman for 39 years and “Always Started What He Finished” as the proprietor of Marshall’s Automotive Services for over a decade.

Jeff was an accomplished musician and always had a set of sticks close by, turning objects of any kind into percussion instruments. Often, you would see him drumming a beat along to a song stuck in his head. Throughout his 60 plus-year musical career, Jeff was the percussionist and/or vocalist for the 7 Teens, Tri-County Banjo Band, Jazz4U, The Friendship Singers, Cross Music Ministries, and the Rotterdam United Methodist Church Choir.

Jeff loved attending classic car shows with his 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1, accompanied by his grandson Mack, and frequently taking home “Overall Event Winner” trophies. In addition to car shows, Jeff loved becoming “the man in the red suit” during Christmas, a role that he had for well over 30 years. Jeff, his beloved wife/Mrs. Claus Lou-Ann, and their two elves Dakota and Piper, put smiles on the faces of thousands of children throughout the Capital Region. In addition, Jeff’s lifetime passions include being an Eagle Scout, volunteering at the Rotterdam Boys & Girls Club, building sets and playing drums in the pit for Mohon Masque, acting as a crew chief for the Mohonasen Marching Band, and being involved in every project his daughters had. If not found tinkering in the garage, Jeffrey could be found sitting by the fire at his Adirondack camp in Wilmington, NY, and spending every summer with his family at Moffit’s Beach State Campground for nearly 70 years.

Although Jeff will be lovingly remembered by his friends and family, he will forever be missed by his daughters, whom he called his three very different wild flowers from the same beautiful garden, Lynn (Joshua) Vincent of Rotterdam, Lori Beth (Joseph) Giattino of Guilderland and Amanda Jo (Johnathan) Wilsey of Altamont. His grandchildren MacKenzie, Dakota, Piper, , Jonathan “Jack”, Josie Lou, Gunnar, and Tucker will never forget their adventures together with their P-Pa, or how the beer was spilt on the baroom floor.

In addition, Jeff is also survived by his loving sister Karen Peters (Robert) and his favorite nephews Doug (Tammy) & Steven (Erin) Peters.

Jeff has now been reunited with his wife of 43 years, Lou-Ann (O’Neill), who is undoubtedly yelling at him for something right now.

Services for Jeff will be on Friday February 17th at 10AM at the Rotterdam United Methodist Church 1915 Helderberg Avenue Rotterdam. Visitation will be Thursday February 16th from 4-8PM at the Bond Funeral Home 1614 Guilderland Avenue Schenectady.

Since Jeffrey's daughters were the only flowers he ever needed, they ask instead that contributions be made to The Rotterdam United Methodist Church, where he was a lifetime member and trustee, or to the Rotterdam Boys & Girls Club, where he was a long-time volunteer, and where his adventures of Santa began.