Obituary: Jeffrey Scott Shiffrin
Mitchell Gunn photo
Dr. Jeffrey Scott Shiffrin, age 65, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020. He was born on March 8, 1954, in Dover, New Jersey, to Betty and Alan Shiffrin. Growing up, Jeff was always a well rounded young man. He excelled at school and sports, always striving to challenge himself. He was an avid musician, playing the piano, guitar, trumpet and french horn. He was a graduate of Dartmouth College, and New Jersey College of Medicine. He did his residency at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton, Massachusetts, moving on to his fellowship in anesthesia at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
During his residency at St. Elizabeth’s, Jeff met his future wife, Eileen Condron, who was an ICU nurse there. Following Jeff’s fellowship at DHMC, Jeff and Eileen stayed in Hanover, New Hampshire, where Jeff was an Associate Professor of Anesthesia and became well known amongst his students for his mentorship and inspirational teaching ability.
Eileen and Jeff were married in Hanover on May 31, 1986. Jeff’s passion for skiing, snow and mountains led them to Vail, Colorado, in 1991, where he was instrumental in incorporating the anesthesia department and pioneering the regional anesthesia program in Vail Valley Medical Center.
Dr. Shiffrin eventually brought a cutting edge ultrasound technology to the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center where he was an Associate Professor. With this technology, Jeff greatly expanded UC Health’s regional anesthesia program. The technology is widely used today.
Soon after moving to Vail, they welcomed their son, Taylor, into the world in 1992. Their daughter, Mikaela, joined soon thereafter being born in 1995. Jeff and Eileen shared their passion for sports, especially their love of skiing, with their children from an early age.
Support Local Journalism
Jeff led his family on many adventures, pursuing their shared love of outdoor activities such as windsurfing in Maui, hiking the Alps and, of course, skiing all around the world. As a result of his desire to capture their many experiences, he developed an exceptional talent for photography. The walls of their home are adorned with his breathtaking landscapes. During Taylor’s years of NCAA competition, and Mikaela’s World Cup races, Jeff became well known for capturing and sharing his amazing images and live-action photos as one of his true passions.
Family was always Jeff’s highest priority. Even as a full-time physician he managed to spend every free moment traveling to support his children’s athletic endeavors, all while instilling his rules of: “Be nice, think first, have fun” and his philosophy of lifelong learning.
Jeff was well known for his kindness, selfless loving nature, quick wit, and uncanny ability to bring a smile to everyone’s face. He is survived by his loving wife Eileen, his daughter Mikaela, his son Taylor and fiancée Kristiana Oslund, as well as his sister Lauren Huelsebusch and her husband Juergen Huelsebusch. Jeff’s memorial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the U.S. Ski Team at donations.usskiandsnowboard.org and the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.
