Jeffrey "Jeff" McClees

Jeffrey “Jeff” Harold McClees, a man who was cherished by many throughout the Boise community, passed away on February 14, 2024 at 63 years old in Meridian, Idaho. He was born on July 7th, 1960, in Longview, Washington to Harold James McClees and Dorothy Eileen Cusick McClees.

During his childhood in Washington, Jeff lived in Kelso, Chehalis, and Centralia. He moved with his family to Nampa, Idaho in 1974 and graduated from Nampa High School with the class of 1979.

Then, he attended Northwest Nazarene College to study music. He played trombone for the Hallelujah Brass. During his time there, he took a COBOL class and met his eventual wife Janeale Rae Blair through a mutual friend.

Jeff briefly moved to North Carolina to work for Wesson, Taylor, Wells, & Associates as an IT Consultant. But he and Janeale stayed in touch, strategically waiting for evenings and weekends to chat on the phone at lower long-distance rates. When Jeff moved back to Idaho, they continued their relationship in earnest.

And to the software of their relationship, they added some hardware—a ring!—and got married at Central Assembly on May 9, 1987. For the next 36 years, he created a loving and stable home for his wife and children before his passing.

In Jeff’s professional life, he was an entrepreneur and wore numerous hats. In 1988, he co-founded Computer Resources, Inc. (now CRI Advantage) and served as the VP for 4 years. He then spent 25 total years at HP as an IT Business Analyst, a role which took him across the world and back several times. He briefly departed from HP from 1998 to 2003 to be the IT Manager at Jabil Circuit.

After retiring from HP, he stayed busy by dabbling in real estate with Progressive Realty, becoming an independent financial coach, and teaching the Junior Achievement of Idaho course at Mountain View High School.

Beyond that, he had a variety of personal interests and hobbies. He regularly challenged himself and surprised his friends and family with hidden talents and slow-burn humor. In recent years, he revisited his college days by taking up the trombone. He played at church, along with the Boise Community Band, the Capital City Mulligan Band, and the Boise State All-Campus Band.

He loved hiking and frequented the trails on 8th street and at the military reserve. To see Jeff in photos is, for the most part, to see him outdoors. And the list goes on. He built his own computers and coded his own programs. He loved to travel and always held fast to his integrity and rigorous moral code. And he had an uncanny way of foreseeing the worst case scenario and making sure his loved ones were prepared and educated.

Jeff’s wit, insight, and vigilant presence will be missed deeply by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. He was one of a kind, irreplaceable, and invaluable. He is survived by his wife, Janeale; his daughter, Tara McClees; his son and his son’s partner, Ryan McClees and Luis Marroquin; his sisters, Donna McClees Engebretson and Barbara McClees Smith; and his numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Dorothy.

His viewing will be held at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel on Friday, February 23, 2024 at 12 p.m. He will be buried at Dry Creek Cemetery the same day at 3 p.m.

A funeral service will take place at Meridian United Methodist Church on the following day, Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 1 p.m. Be advised that there is construction on Idaho Ave in front of the church. Please leave time as you may need to park a few blocks away.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family kindly requests donations be made to the Good Samaritan or Worship Arts Fund at Meridian United Methodist Church, 235 E Pine Ave, Meridian, ID 83642.