Jeffrey Paul "Jeff" Faulkner, 72, of Elkhart, passed away peacefully at Elkhart General Hospital on Thursday, October 5, 2023 following an extended illness.

He was born in South Bend on October 3, 1951 to the late Paul Eugene and Leona May (Hawkins) Faulkner, who precedes him in death. On September 16, 1972, he married his sweetheart Linda Christine Miller in Elkhart. She survives at home.

Also surviving is Jeff's son, The Rev. Adam (Jennifer "Ginger") Faulkner of Hanover, Indiana; his daughter, Amy (Tim) Dunbar of Downer's Grove, Illinois; sister Vickie (Dr. Jan) Warner of Osceola, Indiana and grandchildren Paul "Gibsen" and Natalia Faulkner and Garrett, Nora and Cooper Dunbar. Of course, Jeff will also be lovingly remembered by a host of extended family, good friends, co-workers, church family and literally dozens of "fur babies" he befriended while working at the Elkhart Humane Society, not to mention the generations of children that he positively affected while at Elkhart Life Church (formerly known as Life Tabernacle Church).

Services for Jeff have been planned for Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 12:00 noon at Elkhart Life Church, 1135 Middlebury Street, Elkhart, with visitation beginning there at 10 am. Pastor Mark Johnson will officiate and burial will follow services at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Osceola. Billings Funeral Home and Cremation Services have been assisting the family with arrangements.

Jeff worked most of his adult life as an accountant, bookkeeper or clerk for many different organizations including several area construction companies, the Elkhart County Humane Society and worked with the local Girl Scouts of America Troops over the span of 20 years doing volunteer and financial work there.

It could be said that Jeff loved his Lord, his family and children pretty much in that order. He was an advocate for children of all ages and spent many of his earlier years at the church teaching Sunday School with his wife, Linda. Early on, Jeff established himself as a tremendous communicator, teacher and first-class storyteller. He was very into the exchange of thought and knowledge and had a natural affinity to be able to reach out and connect with children in a way that would encourage and enlighten them. In fact, Jeff insisted on recording weekly bible lessons and stories for the children to watch during the COVID lockdowns, so they would not lose their spiritual contacts or continuity. One of these video lessons may be found in its entirety at the bottom of this obituary page.

Jeff was a champion of all things great and small and was a voice for many. From the mightiest projects that his beloved church could throw at him to the sweet, tiniest meow of a kitten at the Humane shelter, Jeff relished his ability to immerse himself in His Father's work. He tirelessly supported the work and philosophy of his church and was a very active supporter of the Indiana District UPCI Young Marriage Retreats back in the 1990's, where he would promote the benefits of attendance.

All in all, Jeff was a pretty funny and relatable guy who simply loved to live life in the presence and society of others. He was chock full of undetermined "official" facts and would not hesitate to educate you about said facts. He had a wry sense of humor and always considered himself as a "pot stirrer" when it came to staying out of trouble. He always liked to try doing different things and was NEVER at a loss for words. Without a doubt he adored his grandchildren more than life itself, and he never hesitated to call them whenever he could.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Elkhart Life Church Children's Ministries.

Elkhart Life Church Children's Ministry
1135 Middlebury St, Elkhart IN 46516
Tel: 1-574-293-9332