Jeffrey Jude Stoppenhagen, 51, of Fort Wayne, passed away Tuesday, December 17, 2024.

He was born on May 4, 1973 in Huntington, Indiana to Norwin L. and Rita M. (Fox) Stoppenhagen.

Jeff was a graduate of Saint Charles High School in Illinois. Following high school, Jeff answered his country's call and honorably served in the United States Navy.

Throughout most of his post military career, Jeff lent his talents as a leader to various IT teams with JP Morgan Chase and AT&T. More recently, he worked as an independent claims adjuster, utilizing his innate curiosity and sharp intellect to investigate and resolve highway accidents.

In his free time, Jeff most enjoyed being in nature. In keeping with his love of the outdoors, Jeff especially enjoyed playing catch and watching baseball, a hobby he shared with his boys. He dedicated many hours to coaching his children's sports teams and jumped at any opportunity to be a class field trip chaperone. He was an avid hiker and loved history, particularly history documentaries. Jeff was very intelligent, he held a love of reading with an innate ability to recall subject matter pertaining to physics, math and trivia. He will be fondly remembered for his immense love for his family, fierce loyalty to those he cared for, and enduring sense of humor.

He is survived by his sons, Nicholas (Elizabeth) Thomason and Aidan Stoppenhagen; brothers, Kris (Karlee) Stoppenhagen and David (Jaime) Stoppenhagen; parents, Norwin and Rita Stoppenhagen; grandson, Wells Thomason; and niece, Addison Stoppenhagen.

A Memorial Service celebrating Jeff's Life will be held on Friday, December 27, 2024 at 2 p.m. at Divine Mercy Funeral Home, 3500 Lake Ave., Fort Wayne, IN. The family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m. until the start of the service at 2 p.m.

Memorials may be directed to Wounded Warrior Project or St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

Share fond memories and condolences at www.divinemercyfuneralhome.com.