Help Jeff Recover from Losing Karyn

Dear Family and Friends of Jeff and Karyn,

My name is Christie Barringer and I am writing to you as one of Jeff and Karyn's nieces. Jeff and Karyn have each been a blessing in my childhood and life. They met in Los Gatos, California, in the early ’70s, and married in 1984. They lived in Los Gatos until 1999. Then they moved to Indiana to be near Karyn’s family and spent time in Kentucky, as well. Eventually, they made their way back to California. For the past 8 years, Jeff and Karyn have been making ends meet by becoming a great campground host team in their truck and trailer, and have met wonderful people along the way.

As you know, Karyn died unexpectedly in the early morning after her birthday this year, on August 11. It was particularly unexpected because Karyn had just been cleared of cancer and everyone thought she and Jeff were in the clear, at least for a good, long while. Jeff says that he and Karyn thought that, of the two of them, he would be the one to go first and that Karyn would live out her final days in Indiana. As it turns out, Jeff finds himself without Karyn after 38 years of marriage. Now it is just Jeff and their golden retriever, Willie Nelson.

Jeff is scared and is dreading the unknown. Karyn did all the planning, the arranging, the figuring-out. At 68 years of age, Jeff has never been alone and is needing to learn a great deal in a short amount of time. There are many things that his immediate family is able to help with. But Jeff needs more help than we can provide with building his own life in a way that feels doable to him.

Jeff would like to downsize from his and Karyn's large, older truck and trailer into a newer van or smaller truck-trailer, depending on what's available in the area. He is wanting a mobile living situation that he can safely drive, move, and set up by himself. It is important to him to be mobile so that he can re-establish connections and try to explore life on his own. He would like to be able to campground host again. In the longer term, he knows that he is seeking a sense of home and fitting in.

Jeff cannot afford this on his own and has asked me to ask you for help to make this possible. We have a very large goal, but every little bit helps. Any help is very much appreciated. Per Jeff's request, all funds will go to a separate account set up and administered by his brother (my dad) Jim Barringer. If you have any questions or thoughts at all, please reach out to any of us here or on Facebook.