 |
resources forexplore exploreresources for |
Jeff Gockley, a graduate of the
Department of Geography,
passed away in February
at the age of 29.
April 25, 2005
Jeff Gockley pursued his passions up until the very end. After being diagnosed with brain cancer just a month earlier, Jeff insistently strapped on his skis this past January to confront the slopes outside Denver, Colorado in support and memory of a young victim of the same disease. Weeks after his final fundraiser, Jeff passed away in Denver. He was 29 years old.
A native of Lansdale, Pennsylvania and an alumnus of the Penn State Department of Geography, Jeff Gockley worked with the Penn State Institutes for the Environment as both a student and then after graduation as a member of the Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA) staff. During his tenure at PASDA, Jeff fostered relationships with local watershed and conservation groups to assist them in developing GIS capabilities. He also spearheaded a federally funded grant to develop an interactive web-based GIS application for watershed organizations called the Pennsylvania Watershed Explorer.
"He was so good with people," remembers Maurie Kelly, a former colleague and close friend of Jeff, "you could send him anywhere and he could speak with anyone; he was easy-going, intelligent, and dedicated."
A map in the hands
of a pilot is a
testimony of a
man's faith in other
men; it is a symbol
of confidence and
trust. It is not like a
printed page that
bears mere words,
ambiguous and
artful, and whose
most believing
reader must allow in
his mind a recess
for doubt. A map
says to you, 'Read
me carefully, follow
me closely, doubt
me not.' It says, "I
am the earth in the
palm of your hand.
Without me, you
are alone and lost."
-- from "West With the Night"
by Beryl Markham
One of Jeff's favorite poems.
Jeff went on to work with the Crime Analysis Mapping Unit of the Philadelphia Police Department before deciding to pursue a master's degree in GIS at the University of Denver. He persisted in his studies even after his fearful diagnosis and courageously completed his degree work before passing away. Jeff was awarded his master's degree in GIS from the University of Denver posthumously.
The passion and drive that fueled Jeff's professional life exemplified his personal life as well. He was an avid outdoorsman - participating in the National Outdoor Leadership School as a student - an ardent skier, and competitive cyclist, regularly riding in distance races for charity.
"He did so much in such a small amount of time. One pursuit wasn't good enough for Jeff - he wanted to do it all," Maurie Kelly recalls.
His authentic, casual nature and charming charisma endeared Jeff to those whose lives he touched. In his memory, the Gockley and Kelly families have pledged funds to install a commemorative bench that will be placed outside Walker Building on the University Park campus. Additionally, an anonymous donor has established a student award in Jeff's memory to be offered for the first time this spring. The Department of Geography will present the award annually to an exceptional undergraduate student in the field of GIS. If you would like to make a gift to the Department of Geography in memory of Jeff, please send checks, payable to Penn State, to EMS Office of Development, 116 Deike Building, University Park, PA 16802. You may contact Jennifer Theiss at 814 863 2289 or jaw34@psu.edu with any questions.
The Penn State Department of Geography extends its heartfelt condolences to the Jeff Gockley family.