Jeffrey Wayne DeVilbiss: Vietnam Vet, Traveling Nurse, Recipient of Two Purple Hearts

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It pains me to inform the community, that on March 1st, The DeVilbiss Family lost one of its last pillars of wisdom, love, and charm. Jeffrey Wayne DeVilbiss passed in his sleep after battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Following his late wife, Nina DeVilbiss, who passed away February 24th 2020.

Jeffrey was full of life before the months leading up to his sudden decline. At the ripe age of 72 he studied for the NCLEX, passing and becoming a traveling nurse. Moving out of his peaceful ranch home into the bowels of Los Angeles to work 12 hr nightshifts, fulfilling his dream of becoming a nurse, A dream he had since the ending of his military service as a Navy Corpsman, a dream he made true.

Jeffrey leaves behind his children who loved him dearly. He leaves behind his oldest brother Michael, his youngest sister Janine, his favorite cousins Kenny Vickers and Rocky Dickey, his friends from his years working at the United States Postal Service in Eureka. His combat brothers from the Vietnam War. His friends and family from his hell raising days down the Mendocino Coast, spanning from Rockport to Point Arena.

Born to career Navy man and a Chicago transplant on a sunny morning September 10th 1950 in Oak Knoll Navy Hospital, Oakland California. Second of four children to be raised in the bay area until the age of five were his fathers career saw the family leaving to the distant island of Kwajalein, of the Marshal Islands. Short lived but fun filled being a navy brat in the 1960s, the family moved every few years, back to Nevada for a few, then back to Castro Valley where his father finished off his 20 year navel career on the USS Finch DER 328 off Treasure Island. Jeffrey finished High school at Castro Valley High, graduating in 1968.

Like many young men in 1968, he was compelled to enlist in the Navy. Joining with the hopes of becoming a military journalist, leaving bootcamp a navy corpsman. He was stationed with Echo 2/7 of the Marine Corps. A Devil Doc, He spent the next two years in heavy combat. Witnessing first hand the horrors of war, extreme loss of friends and brothers in arms, two purple hearts and a handful of medals later a body marked with bullets and shrapnel, he survived long enough to get back to the states and be honorably medically discharged. Trying to fit back into the norm, Jeffrey went back to work in the emergency room at Highland Hospital. This norm wasn’t working well with Jeffrey so he bite at the opportunity to care take his families ranch outside of Fort Bragg. Cashed in his military check on a 1970 Plymouth 340 Duster, moved to a little shack in Hardy Creek, Ca. Spending the next years drinking, fighting, rock picking for abalones, deer hunting, logging, and doing all kinds of odd jobs to make ends meat. He had a love for all things wild, wild wilderness, wild women, an wild adventure.

As the wild slowly withered away its charm, settling down and starting a family became priority. Taking a job with the United States postal service in Pleasanton, Ca. working in the city long enough to transfer to the foggy town of Eureka.

In 1984, Jeffrey found his way to sobriety and to the embrace of Nina Margaret Gravois, who he happily married that November.

In 1988 they decided to be parents, adopting a beautiful little daughter, Angela Jean, and in 1992 adopting a son, Andrew Cody Allen.

Jeffrey retired in 2006 from the United States Postal Service. Two years later he moved from town up into the beauty of Larabee Valley where he lived a retired life of hobby farming, goat raising, firewood cutting. A life of Gunsmoke episodes, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, hunting, fishing, drinking straight from mossy freshwater springs, making fresh apple cider and solitaire games on the computer.

Jeffrey took pride in his sobriety 40 years strong along with his faith in God which walked him through many hardships in his life. He believed in environmental conservation and leaving this world better for future generations. As part of his healing journey Jeffrey went back to Vietnam with Vets with a Mission to give back to the impoverished areas and work in medical clinics throughout the country for weeks at a time. Making that trip several times helped him overcome a lot of pain associated with his military time abroad.

In the week before his death he expressed joy to reconnect with his family and close friends that passed before him. His sister Shereen, Denny McMahon, Jerry Ross, Weasel, Art Diaz, and his parents… to name a few.

He leaves this world, with some words of wisdom: “Love a many, trust a few, always paddle your own canoe…”

The DeVilbiss family would like to invite family and friends to attend the Celebration of Life for both our parents to be held at Westport Community Church Sunday August 4th at Noon. Donations can be made to ALS Research Foundation or Honor Guard (American Legion Post 96) P.O. Box 1212 Fort Bragg Ca 95437.