Jeff was born March 23, 1927, in Evanston, Ill., to Herbert McClain and Helen Jefferies Arrick.
He was a 1945 graduate of the John Burroughs School in St. Louis and served in the Coast Guard during World War II. At Princeton he majored in geology, belonged to Tower Club, and roomed with Walt Braham, Bud Brown, Pinky Cohill, Bruce Kennedy, Bill Latimer, and Vern Wise.
On Nov. 24, 1956, he married Elizabeth “Betty” Hungerford. Her family included numerous Princetonians: her father, Clark ’22, uncle Phlip ’23 (yes, Phlip), brothers Clark Jr. ’49 and Rich ’50, and her cousins Homer ’48 and Phil ’51. Initially, Jeff worked for Granite City Steel in various operating management jobs. Fifteen years later he went with Anchorfilm Co., eventually becoming its president. This led to Jeff beginning his own management-consulting business.
He was a longtime volunteer at Ladue (Mo.) Chapel Presbyterian Church and at various food banks.
Betty died in 2002, and Jeff’s last four years were spent in a care center. He died April 26, 2012, in St. Louis of congestive heart failure. He is survived by his children, Betsy (Skip) Stone, Jefferies C., and Helen (Russ) Eddy; six grandchildren; and close family friend Carol Matthews.