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Jeff led an adventurous life everywhere he lived. He was born July 2, 1960, to Mary Jane and Herb McKearney in suburban Chicago. Jeff maintained his love for the city while he pursued a passion for the outdoors, hunting and fishing that Herbie passed on to him and his older brother, Scott. After earning his Master of Divinity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Jeff, Lori and their first daughter, Kelsey, moved to Holdrege, Nebraska, for his first pastoral role. Danny and Corianne joined the family, and after 10 years they moved to serve a newly planted church in Powell, Wyoming. Those were only the first times they lived in Nebraska and Wyoming. God led Jeff to pastor at a church in Nebraska again, and back to Wyoming in January of last year.
When Jeff was in college, his friends said there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do. Near the end of his college years, God stepped in and radically changed his life. “My friends saw the 180 and thought I was crazy.” Jeff couldn’t imagine what God wanted for his life and was sure of only one thing: It would not involve public speaking. Over the last 36 years, Jeff became a passionate preacher who loved to elevate who Jesus is for us.
At 64 years old, Jeff was the picture of health. He studied nutrition in his free time and exercised almost daily for decades. He started weightlifting in the ’80s, “pumping the pig iron,” inspired by his childhood idol, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Jeff is better known now for his love of hunting. Though Wyoming brought him incredible big game hunts, whitetail deer in the thick woods of Nebraska stayed the closest to his midwestern heart. He loved and hated his trophies because they represented a temptation to treasure “lesser things.”
Jeff was wild about his wife and kids. He fought for family time and adventures. He adored Lori when they were alone, just as well as he did in public; they became true best friends over 36 years. To his adult children, he became a mentor and friend, and “Grampies” brought the energy to his grandkids, Addie and Ziggy, along with a lot of Starbucks drinks. Jeff loved developing a new staff at Cody Bible Church and found Wednesday night kids ministry pretty fun, too.
Jeff died suddenly on Oct. 23, 2024, on a hunting trip with a close friend, Steve Werbelow. Jeff often said, “Come, Lord Jesus, come,” because he recognized his own brokenness and our wrecked world. He has his true heart’s desire now — he is in the presence of his greatest love, Jesus. Jeff’s new reality outweighs our loss.
Jeff leaves behind his wife, Lori; his children, Kelsey (Trent) Gillett with their children Addie and Ziggy; Danny McKearney; Corianne (Chris) Haller; his brother Scott (Darlene) McKearney; his niece Megan (Ryan) Meinders, nephew Kyle (Jessica) McKearney, and cousin Michelle Edwards.
Services will be at Cody Bible Church on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at 10 a.m. Memories and condolences can be shared on Jeff’s memorial page at BallardFH.com.
