Remembering Jeff Tapp

Jeff Tapp, 64, passed away on August 23, 2024, from a tragic automobile accident.  He is survived by his wife Deana and son Grant. 

Jeff was hired by Clackamas Community College in 2004 and had just completed his 20th anniversary. He was originally hired as a custodian and then worked in the motor pool department and the mail room. He later moved to plant engineering because of his outstanding skills and desire to excel. In 2022 he was promoted to team lead over the Plant Engineering Team.

While at CCC, Jeff attended numerous classes gaining knowledge and certifications that helped him grow professionally. His desire to learn and grow within his field of expertise drove him to excellence, and he used that drive to encourage those who worked around him. He especially enjoyed working with Cooperative Work Experience students from the Renewal Energy program. His greatest professional achievement would be the Limited Maintenance Electrical License he obtained through apprenticeship and the state of Oregon, which served him and the college well for years. The mastery of his trade is evident in all of our campus buildings. 

Jeff loved the college, the mission, and especially the CCC family. He had a desire to establish and maintain relationships at the college and serve his CCC family beyond his technical abilities and skills. He enjoyed quick chats and check-ins as he moved through the buildings on his way to repair one thing or another. Staff will all miss those hallway encounters. 

Jeff was an avid fisherman whose passions led him to many Northwest rivers and streams. He loved tying the flies he would use on his next fishing trip. While at CCC, Jeff also snuck in some writing classes and began writing fishing stories. For several years Jeff implied he had a project going on but never would divulge what that project was. He recently shared with his Dean that his project was a book and that it was published!  He wrote and published “A Series of Fish Stories" under the pseudonym Jerry Trent.

Jeff was a kind and gentle man who was always pleasant with a greeting and a generous smile.  His positive presence and his historical familiarity with the college's HVAC, electrical, and building systems will be sorely missed.

Jeff was such a huge advocate for the education of members of the Campus Services team.  He encouraged Campus Services staff apply for the scholarship opportunity provided by the Campus Services Endowment. Upon Jeff’s death, the Campus Services Endowment  was renamed “Jeff Tapp Memorial Endowment for Campus Services.”