Jeffrey Ronald Lombardi Obituary

It's so hard to say goodbye to someone that we love and cherish. Jeff finished his work here on earth and has been called home where he will have everlasting life in Our Fathers house.

So now his Family and friends must say goodbye to our beloved Jeffrey "Jeff" Ronald Lombardi, of Hamden, Connecticut who passed away at the age 50, on October 5, 2023. Jeff moved to Vista, California in December 2013 where he met the love of his life, his soulmate. Jeff is survived by his loving mother, Maureen, his son Cameron, and his fiancé Monica. Jeff adored his son Cameron and was so proud of the young man he's become. Cameron is an excellent student and will soon graduate high school. His son meant everything to him. He cherished being a stay home dad and said his son was his little buddy. He could never say no to Cam and although they lived miles apart, he kept those precious moments close to his heart. Maureen was so proud of her sons' athletic abilities. She clipped all the newspaper articles and letters offering Jeff full scholarships. Maureen said that her son was a gifted athlete. Any sport he played he was great at it.

He was a Varsity Goalie in Ice Hockey who led his team to the state championships. His dad, Ronald Lombardi, deceased, never missed a game. He would stand in the same spot and right before Jeff took the ice, his dad would say "You're the best, Now play like it!". Jeff's dad would always stand behind the net and follow his son from end to end.

Jeff was in the Connecticut All-Stars. Hamden selected a bantam team and Jeff was chosen as the goalie for this team that Hamden sent to Sweden to play against Scandinavian countries. It was a wonderful experience for him and his teammates.

Jeff was also selected to be part of the US Junior Olympic Hockey Team ages 18 and under and trained in Colorado Springs and went on to play at Lake Placid.

At the age of 20, Jeff joined the army. He was a Combat Medic, and then added a specialized skill of Ophthalmology to his medical training. Jeff was also part of a team assembled to assist in a top-secret surgery at Walter Reed Medical Center.

Jeff regained his Catholic Faith, and it became a very important part of his life. He was dedicated to praying the rosary daily. He enjoyed going to the Chapel at St. Mary's where he would pray the rosary in front of the Blessed Virgin. When he was done praying, he would sweep the area, remove old flowers, and arrange the candles that people would light for their special petitions. He took great pride in keeping the chapel clean and tidy. This is evident in one of the pictures on his tribute wall that shows Jeff cleaning the headstone at our family's grave site. He would stop by the cemetery to clean and polish the headstone. When done he would arrange flowers and finish his talk with his dad and our dad. He liked to tell them about the happenings and goings on and often said he liked to imagine that both dads were watching over us.

Jeff treated others with dignity and wanted to give back by ministering to the sick in the form of bringing Holy Communion to the homebound. He wanted to volunteer at nursing homes and simply sit and talk to those that had no visitors. A kind word or a simple hello could make that other person's entire day brighter. Simple acts of kindness and giving of oneself to others was very rewarding to him. Once Jeff hung up his hockey skates, his favorite pass time was golf. He also loved music. He could "name that tune" along with the year the song came out.

He always joked about how his friends back east would say what happened to "the tough guy" we all knew? Jeff might have had a tough guy exterior back in the day, but he was really a big softie. Jeff was a big kid at heart. A "Teddy Bear" of a guy. His patience and gentleness with the elderly, disabled or special needs folks was something to be admired.

Jeffrey's memory is a keepsake that will live on forever in our Hearts. The gentle soul who became a good steward of Christ by giving of himself so selflessly is now at peace.

If you would like to pay your final respects a Vigil will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church at 10am in Vista, California on November 10, 2023, Veteran's Day. Followed by Mass at 11am with a reception to follow at 12:30pm at Ciao's Ristorante on W. Vista Way in Vista.

If you would like to donate to Jeff's favorite charity, please donate to the Wounded Warriors project. http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org. Flowers should be sent to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church instead of Allen Brothers Mortuary.

If you prefer, you can also donate to a charity of your choice using the option below Pledge donation to a charity of your choosing.