Jay and I were always in trouble ... But we had fun !! I've got lots of stories to tell but I don't ''Think '' I have enough room ..       When Jay was 4 and I was about 5 we lived in a apartment in Maryland  Jay lived upstairs and I lived downstairs.One morning Jay and I got into a huge fuss I can't remember what it was over but he called me a ''Bad Word'' Well of course I went to my mom and Aunt Bonnie and told on him because that's what we did ALL the time .. I think it was part of our family love ..he he .. So mom asked, What did he say? Well I tried to spell it .. BST.. Well Mom and Aunt Bonnie got a kick out of that well the whole family did to this very day we all call each other BST..Every time I hear BST said I always think of Jay .. To this day we still have no idea what he really called me but it must of been pretty bad for me and my 5 year old self to try to spell it .. :)

 Jay and I decided we could play with matches only if we didn't get caught because we knew everything we were the coolest kids on the block .. In our new town Carthage , NC (Well we thought...) For several days we had been burning little piles of leaves and bits of paper so we Totally had this under control Because we were cool like I said WELL ..Uncle Jr had gone fishing a few days before and left a fish on a stringer so Jay  and thought wow we can cook this fish and eat it ( GROSS) so we went to get the matches they kept in the kitchen man they didn't know how much we loved them laying those things around, it was no problem getting them If we could get by Grandma Ruby who was always in the kitchen.. Well Jay got by her and out the door he went so excited we could cook our fish that was still on the stringer that was about 3 days old so after playing with the  matches for a little while we decided to cook this fish ... Well the fire that we built approx 3 feet from our home was really getting up there so we went to look for water and lucky for us we found a tall jug of water under the shed where the Lawn mover was .. so I went fast to put this fire out. Well ... It was a jug of gas ...And Jay had to use the bathroom so I would put the fire out while he was gone . The flames got bigger as I poured the gas on the fire my eyelashes were gone and my hair was singed and Jay was in the bathroom all safe and sound ... I went inside because by this time the side of the house was getting A little HOT... I told Mom and the whole family ''Somebody" caught the house on fire so everyone went running outside.  They had to put the fire out and of course Jay was still in the bathroom I got 80 licks with the paddle that still hangs in my Grandmothers house with Jay and I's NAME all over it .. I was grounded for 3 months and I couldn't get off the couch.. Jay never got a whipping because he was in the bathroom(Lucky Dog).. but the whole 3 months I had to sit on the couch Jay was right there with me playing when my mom wasn't looking I always loved him for that because he could of went outside and left me there all alone but he didn't he was always there with me!!! Jay and I stayed close for years and years I used to hang out with him in school, people thought we were girlfriend and boyfriend. we would say nasty.. As we got older and got married and had kids of our own we grew apart but we never lost that family love and bond. No matter where we were we always let everyone know we were related. I am proud of the man that he became he was a good guy and a wonderful cousin,father and friend ...Miss Ya Cuz                                                                                                                          

J.J. was my cousin and he was always mean to me but always in a good way as yall know he was in the military and he would always call every one turd!!!  It was funny cause when he said turd everybody turned to him like he was talking to them.  J.J. was the most funny and outgoing person i think i have ever met he never let anything get him down and always had a smile on his face.  He new what he wanted and he went after it!!  I remember at my sixtenth birthday we had a slip-n-slide.  I tried and tried to get him to slide down it but he wouldnt well eventually we turned the grass to mud and i went down it cause he was trying to give me my birthday beatin so i got good and covered in that mud and i tell you he shot out of that yard and up the road before i could even get up.  haha it makes me laugh just thinking about it.. i chased him i know atleast a 1/2 mile up the road before i jsut gave up, but i tell you one thing he never got to give me my birthday beatin...  But ill tell you this i did eventually get him and it was great i think everybody rolled laughin.  I thought he was going to kill me..  haha  Well its not much but there is the one thing about J.J. that i will never forget.  He was a great man, friend, husband, cousin, brother, son, and father.  He will never be missed and will always leave a mark in everyones heart that he had the chance to meet!!!

This sure was a fun night wasn't Austin! We got him good! He never even saw it coming. He loved you very much!

Oh where to begin. JJ was a great friend and I miss him so much. This page wouldn't be big enough to tell all our "adventures" but needless to say me and JJ had very similar senses of humor. When we ganged up on the wives and the boys the "assclowns" couldn't stop us. Lauren was too sweet to pick on plus her being a daddy's girl I know JJ had her back.

I'll share this story. JJ and I decided to have a guys night out so he showed up at the house and I rode with him to Albemarle to a place called Sharky's. It was a pool hall that JJ really enjoyed going to with me. This particular night Carolina was playing Duke so JJ and I being rabid Carolina Tar Heel fans decided to watch the game on the big screen. I tell you, JJ loved the chicken wings they had. He would get the mild and I got the Teriyaki and we would split them. So with us kicking back munching on wings with ice cold beer we watched the game. Seems a lot of people I knew showed up shortly and before we knew it, there were probably 15 to 20 people watching the game with us in the corner of the bar. Most were Carolina fans!!!  We all booed and cut up during the game and Duke won that one. (That's ok though because Tyler Hansbrough and the rest kicked Duke's butt the next time at Duke!!!) After the game we shot pool and just cut up the whole night. I think JJ must have had a bad week cause he sure did enjoy that night and he told me on the way home he was glad we had the chance to hang out cause he had a blast!!!

JJ... I'll see you on the other side some day buddy!!!

Ashleigh, Hunter, Austin and Lauren I love you guys, so if you ever need me you know how to find me. JJ is not gone he's just waiting for us to come home.

JJ was a great guy. He always had everybody laughing, from the cookouts and movie nights, to wet n wild and fireworks to just chatting online he always cracked me up... Everybody was an "assclown" lol .... and when he and Kyle gained up on us there was no stopping the jokes!!! And who could ever forget going swimming? lol

I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to have him in my life...

Ash just know that I am always here for all of you... I love you guys so much... You guys are more than friends... you're family.... *hugs*

So JJ was definitly more than just a step-father, another chapter in my life, or just some guy that my mom was absolutely in love with. He was one of my best friends, as I know I was to him. We shared our ups and our downs but in the end, we always pulled it through. JJ did so much for me in my little life, I couldn't even begin to scratch the surface and explain it in this post. He fed me, he clothed me, because of him I now have a warm house to sleep in at night. Without JJ in our life, who knows where our family would be. Every moment I was with JJ he always cracked jokes, always made fun, he was just an all around fun guy. If you were a friend, you were lucky and I am surely appreciative of my time that I spent with JJ. Some of his more famous lines, "The question" or informing us of things we'd really rather not know, he always spoke what he felt and he had fun with it. All of the summers we spent at wet n wild, all of the trips to the beach, riding to school in the mornings, racing mom home from various places, things that I expierienced every day of the past 13 years. I just wish that some how, some way, I could experience all of them atleast one more time. I never really showed it, or atleast I fell that I didn't, but I appreciated all of the time I spent with JJ. Every day, good or bad, he was there and he refused to give up. He may not have showed it, but I know he was proud of me. I know so because he told me more than once in the time he spent with me. I miss JJ, I just wish I could have one more day but I know it won't happen. I miss ya big man, I hope its as good as they make it sound up there!!!

- Hunter Sheffield

From the moment I met JJ, I knew there was a kindness inside of him that would shine on forever. Motorcycle rides through the country side, wet and wild and taking me in as your  own. I Wish I had more time to get to know you JJ, you will be forever imprinted in my heart.  You were  a great husband, father and friend. Forever missed, never forgotten. Rest in peace.

See you on the other side. <3 

My DADDY was a very wonderful man. He made me laugh,happy,and he also made my life EXCITING! It is sad that he is gone,but I know he is still here with me every where I go.I'm lonely without him and it is so depressing to see my one and only dad gone from my life. I remember when I was little he would sing to me " The World " by Brad Paisly.Daddy I will never forget you and i will always remember the good times. I will miss you daddy. I will see you later on in the great place called "Heaven". I love you daddy i will always love you.

                                                            love,

                                                                  Daddy's little girl <3!!!

              P.S:This is Laurens friend you found some pretty awesome rocks!!!

We all miss you very much.