Jeff Jurena, who in his youth spent time as a community newspaper sports reporter, died Sunday, March 28, in Gilbert, Ariz. He was 57 and had been diagnosed earlier this year with stage 4 skin cancer.
Jurena was born Jan. 20, 1964, in Atlanta. He grew up in Greendale, Wis., along with his brother, David, and sister, Erin.
A natural athlete, Jurena loved sports, especially bowling and golf. In his younger years, he served as a sports reporter for several community newspapers and also worked for Reiman Publications, a Greendale-based publishing company now affiliated with the Reader’s Digest Corporation.
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Jurena later graduated from Marquette University and moved to Appleton, where he started his career at Crane Engineering. While in Appleton, Jurena met his wife, Vickie “Pudd” Gardner. They were married 31 years.
A celebration of Jurena’s life will be held at a later date in Appleton. When available, more information will be posted on his Facebook page.
