Jeffrey Stringer Obituary

I just learned of Jeff's passing from the CWRU Alumni magazine. I was so sorry to hear the news. My sincere condolences to his family. I went to CWRU with Jeff in 1982. I always enjoyed my time with him in college. Although I am not a musician, I enjoyed his guitar playing and he shared that love for music with me. My favorite musician passed away last year and Jeff remembered that about me from over 30 years earlier

I just learned of Jeff's passing from the CWRU Alumni magazine. I was so sorry to hear the news. My sincere condolences to his family. I went to CWRU with Jeff in 1982. I always enjoyed my time with him in college. Although I am not a musician, I enjoyed his guitar playing and he shared that love for music with me. My favorite musician passed away last year and Jeff remembered that about me from over 30 years earlier and he sent me a nice note about him. I have great memories of Jeff and he will be missed.

Dave Siegel
Friend

I just learned today of Jeff's passing from the CWRU Alumni magazine. I was shocked and deeply saddened. Please accept my sincerest condolences, and those of my wife, Wendy.

Jeff and I started CWRU together in the fall of 1982. We lived in the same dorm, he in Suite 150 and me in Suite 430; we even played together in a dorm band one year. He knew my wife, who also lived in our dorm, and attended our wedding in June

I just learned today of Jeff's passing from the CWRU Alumni magazine. I was shocked and deeply saddened. Please accept my sincerest condolences, and those of my wife, Wendy.

Jeff and I started CWRU together in the fall of 1982. We lived in the same dorm, he in Suite 150 and me in Suite 430; we even played together in a dorm band one year. He knew my wife, who also lived in our dorm, and attended our wedding in June of 1988. I always thought he was slightly crazy, but we both loved music and science. He was a good friend and a great person.

I will miss him greatly.

I was shaken to hear of Jeff's passing. Jeff sat next to me at work before I left in January 2020. I remember working at his desk and trading music stories since all of us had music backgrounds - not uncommon among technical people. I always envied Jeff's lunch and running discipline - two things that continue to inspire me today. I miss Jeff and wish the best to his family.

Dear Karen and Sylvie,

it is unimaginable to think of Jeff gone. I know that his relationship with Sylvie was very special by the way he took interest in her progress during each lesson. I will miss greatly talking to him: Jeff was an intelligent, warm, witty, and absolutely genuine person. It was a privilege to know him.

I hold you both in my heart.
Inessa

Dear Jeff,

It was so sad to hear the news of your death. Our sincere condolences from my wife Tomoko and myself, and deepest sympathy to your wife Karen and your daughter Sylvie.

Looking back, way back, we first met in Westinghouse R&D Center in Churchill. Do you remember the Navy project on Sonar Signal Processing? You were helping me in electronics and software. It must have been in early 1980s. Later I started new company “Optomation” that

Dear Jeff,

It was so sad to hear the news of your death. Our sincere condolences from my wife Tomoko and myself, and deepest sympathy to your wife Karen and your daughter Sylvie.

Looking back, way back, we first met in Westinghouse R&D Center in Churchill. Do you remember the Navy project on Sonar Signal Processing? You were helping me in electronics and software. It must have been in early 1980s. Later I started new company “Optomation” that you joined as the Chief Engineer. We were working on development of fingerprint sensor technology. I was impressed by the speed you generated the software code for identifying the prints. We kept the teamwork on many projects, including Laser based inspection of memory chips, of TV display panels and laser radar for automobile for collision avoidance to count a few.

Besides working hard on the engineering work, you were involved in musical performance, playing electric base as a member of Jazz group “Watershed.” Tomoko and I attended your concert a couple of times. Type of music was Modern Jazz or more modern, I would say, than the “conventional” Modern Jazz. The performance kept persuasion of dissonance. Concluding the concert by the last number by the audience amplifying the dissonance with the Kazoos that were handed out to everyone just before the number started. The house resonated with dissonance transmitting message that we were all born free.

On the job we traveled together to Japan a couple of times to hand-carry the experimental product for exporting. Remember we were in two taxies in Tokyo on the way to customer’s office. You were in one with the heavy hardware and I was with Dan Oban in the other. Our cars stopped side by side at the signal near Tokyo Station. You rolled down your window, and so did I. You paused at me, pulled your chin, managing a strong British accent in baritone and asked, ‘Do you have any GREY PUOPON?’ in smile. It was one of the most popular commercial on the mustard product then. We laughed and rolled up the window and traffic started again. You left Optomation in 2000. I still appreciate all your contribution to the company.

In 2007, we lost our son Katsu in swimming accident in Colorado. We had second memorial service right in Murrysville, Pennsylvania. You were kind enough to give one eulogy for him in the service. It was so nice of you. You and Karen helped me preparing for the court battles in the lawsuit following our son’s accident. That was extremely helpful. We had the first memorial anniversary gathering in our back yard. Surely, you participated together with Karen. Thank you for joining the gathering. A few years later, we had a follow-on memorial, where you brought in your new member Sylvie. We were honored to meet the young addition. Since then we enjoyed seeing the pictures of your family in your back yard and while your family were on camping you sent me. We enjoyed the happy atmosphere emanating from the family snapshots.

During every Christmas time, almost every year, you and I went out for a glass of beer or two over which we tried to catch up what we were up to and to share the new experiences, till last couple of years. We lost contact somehow, --- and now we are hearing this. We cannot cling the beer mug and crack jokes anymore. We will miss you greatly. Those clinging sound is coming back with fond memories. Probably it will stay with our lives through. We pray that your soul may rest in peace.

Poohsan and Tomoko Tamura

My heart goes out to you in your sadness. I remember Jeff's kindness and devotion to Sylvie's musical career. I'm grateful to him for allowing Sylvie to join my students in chamber music concerts.

I'm so saddened to that Jeff has left us. I hadn't spoken to him in quite some time, but I have so many great memories of playing music and spending time with him. I'm blessed to have been involved with Active Ingredient, where he ran a seamless and professional ship while always challenging us and pushing us to grow. My deepest condolences to Jeff's family. I know he will be missed by many.

I was deeply saddened by the news of Jeff's passing. He was a kind and gentle soul. Always smiling. He loved to exchange music finds with me via email. And whenever I saw him with Sylvie, it was obvious that she was the apple of Jeff's eye. I want to express my heartfelt sympathy to Karen and Sylvie and Jeff's family. The world has lost a wonderful man. RIP Jeff.

I was shocked and saddened to hear of Jeff's passing - taken from us too soon. As a young musician from Greensburg, PA, the musical inspiration and influence of Jeff (together with Erin, Jay, Ben and Daryl as Water Shed 5tet) upon me was incalculable. Jeff and company demonstrated world-class discipline, musicianship, and innovation on a local level that was easily at or above the quality of avant-music scenes that we were fans of in NYC or the West Coast.

I was shocked and saddened to hear of Jeff's passing - taken from us too soon. As a young musician from Greensburg, PA, the musical inspiration and influence of Jeff (together with Erin, Jay, Ben and Daryl as Water Shed 5tet) upon me was incalculable. Jeff and company demonstrated world-class discipline, musicianship, and innovation on a local level that was easily at or above the quality of avant-music scenes that we were fans of in NYC or the West Coast. It was so important for us to see musicians to whom we were so geographically close taking these kinds of risks and making unforgettable, timeless music in the process. We thank you for your music and will remember you always, Jeff. My sympathies to all family and friends.

I met Jeff in the fall of 1988. He was playing in the basement of the student union of Duquesne University with his band Active Ingredient. The band played songs titled "I Like School Supplies" and "Sobbing in Her Saab," just to name a few. I loved the quirky songs and the sound of the band, and was cracking up at lanky front man playing guitar. After the show, despite being a painfully shy freshman, I introduced myself to who

I met Jeff in the fall of 1988. He was playing in the basement of the student union of Duquesne University with his band Active Ingredient. The band played songs titled "I Like School Supplies" and "Sobbing in Her Saab," just to name a few. I loved the quirky songs and the sound of the band, and was cracking up at lanky front man playing guitar. After the show, despite being a painfully shy freshman, I introduced myself to who I would come to know as Jeff, Stringer, Stringy, and String, interchangeably. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this wacky guy onstage was a very kind and gracious person, and he thanked me for coming to the show. I bought a bumper sticker and a tape.

A couple of years later, I was invited to Jeff's house to play drums in a group that came to be known as John Thursday. During wildly creative jam sessions and rehearsals, I found that Jeff was not only a kind and generous person, but also profoundly intelligent and inventive, with one crazy sense of humor. The whole of his personality infused his musical style and performance. I was always amazed at the seemingly infinite flow of creative ideas on the guitar, many of them were so crazy we'd laugh out loud, and others were melancholy and thought provoking.

Outside of music, Jeff was interested in a myriad of topics. Hanging out at his house, there was no shortage of books and magazines dealing with art, poetry, nature, and science. In his day job, he dealt with advanced engineering topics far beyond most peoples' understanding, but was so brilliant, he could describe what he did in simple layman's terms.

I am deeply saddened to hear of Jeff's death. For many people involved in creative art forms, it is difficult to find like-minded people who are kind and generous and have a sense of humor. For all of these qualities, I will greatly miss him.