Highly Missed

TF#9 Jeremy Stockley

Name: Jeremy John Stockley
Nickname: Stocks, Jer, or Jer Jer
Team Funnel member #9 and Original Member
First Jump: Spring of 1999
Rig: Javelin
Home DZ: Skydive Chicago
Number of Jumps: 116
Last Jump: November 25, 2000
Skydive Accomplishments: Team Funnel Member #9, 12-way, 18-way, 20-way, 22-way

Personal Background: Born and raised in Earlville, Illinois. Played many sports while growing up, but settled on soccer during college. Played for Illinois Benedictine and Rockford Colleges. Awarded All-State in High School for soccer.

Hobbies: sports, outdoor activities like hiking and cliff jumping, music, playing guitar, reading and writing, foosball, and spending lots of quality time with his family.

Jer's skydive story: Jeremy told his sister about maybe jumping with a couple of friends, and that they had decided on a day. She was to tell their parents that he had gone shopping for the day…Jer NEVER shopped. They knew he was up to something. The three friends backed out last minute, and Jeremy was left to make his first jump alone. He actually said that it probably was for the best. On that afternoon, his soul was changed forever. His passion was revealed, and for the next several months he jumped whenever possible and feasible.

The rest of the story: Jeremy was diagnosed with a very rare childrens cancer in May of 2002. He was 25 years old at the time. Jeremy was treated for almost two years at Childrens Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He underwent several very serious surgeries, vast amounts of chemotherapy, and some radiation. Through his battle, Jeremy fought with the most positive attitude ever witnessed by those around him. He was truly an inspiration to EVERYONE. He was brave, patient, and accepting of this awful hand dealt to him. He never gave up no matter how bleak the news he was given, or how scary the future seemed to be. He thought a lot about skydiving, and shared a lot of his awesome memories with those people lucky enough to get him to talk. During these difficult times, we all prayed for the day he would be allowed to jump again. Jeremy was loved by many, and will be missed by even more. He passed on January 13, 2004 with complications that developed during his recovery from a stem cell transplant. We (his family) pray everyday that he's in that special place skydiving every chance he gets. To those who knew him best, "It is what it is", will live with us forever. He would want every person to live life to the fullest. .

Blue skies to you always JER JER!

With lots of love, The Stockley and Olson families