Jeffrey George Lovell

Jeffrey George Lovell, 72 (born June 30, 1953), passed away February 26, 2026, after a courageous two-year battle with cancer, faced with his trademark grit, humor, and an impressive number of stories.

Jeff is survived by his beloved wife of 49 years, Nancy McCune Lovell; daughters Jessi (Tony) Nasto and Gretchen (Ian Hilburger) Lovell; and five adored granddaughters — Nova, Atlas, Aria, Aster, and Aurelia. He is also survived by his niece Jenn Lovell, cousins Greg Hartz and Eric Hartz, and extended family. He was predeceased by his daughter Eliesha Lovell, his parents Maurice and Pinky Lovell, and his brother Martin Lovell.

Jeff loved people and had an easy gift for conversation that turned strangers into friends. His hugs were legendary, and his humor ever-present — including his playful warning during back rubs: “I’ll give you an hour to cut that out.” When something met his enthusiastic approval — especially food or power tools — he expressed it with unmistakable “Tim-the-Tool-Man” grunts of satisfaction.

A devoted father, Jeff taught his daughters life’s essentials: how to fish, ski, travel, pitch softball, tell the truth, ride a tractor, perform boldly, build fires, play poker with pretzels for chips, and grill with conviction because Vegetarian = Old Native term for ‘Bad Hunter’. Jeff and Nancy shared a lifelong love of bluegrass music — as Jeff insisted, “There’s two kinds of music — bluegrass and all that other stuff.” A banjo and guitar player, he performed anywhere an audience could be found, from living rooms to festivals, and often proving that banjo players don’t steal the spotlight — they replace the lighting system entirely. His storytelling talents extended to the grill, where his Cornell chicken tutorial always began with the famous line: “Let me tell you how I make my chicken.” And even in those difficult final days, Jeff’s humor never left him — once joking, “I’m going to burn the house down, but not my banjo,” a reminder that laughter and music were always his constants.

Jeff served in the U.S. Air Force and later worked in financial planning for military families. In retirement, he spent ten years driving school buses for the Ithaca City School District, proudly helping students evolve from rowdy passengers to helpful co-pilots.

Known as Boppa, Jeff adored his granddaughters. A treasured moment came when Atlas snuggled beside him and assured him, “There’s always enough room for a little girl with you, Boppa” — a sentiment that captured Jeff’s life perfectly: a man whose heart and couch both made room for everyone.

A Memorial Celebration will be held at Forest Home Chapel, 224 Forest Home Drive, Ithaca, on Saturday, March 7 at 1 p.m., followed by a reception. Burial will be at Green Springs Cemetery, Newfield, NY, on Thursday, March 5 at 1 p.m.

Memorial donations may be made to Habitat for Humanity in Jeff’s honor.

Jeff’s life was proof that there is always room for one more story, one more song, one more hug — and, as he might remind us, one more helping of chicken.