Obituary of Joseph "Lou" Jefferson

In loving memory of Joseph (Lou) Jefferson August 1st, 1962 – October 4th, 2021 Joseph Louis (Lou) Jefferson, age 59, of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away on October 4th, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Debra Jefferson, daughters Lyndsey and Taylor Jefferson, mamá Ramona Nevarez, and brothers Onesimo (Chemo), Sotero, Carlos and Armando Nevarez. He was preceded in death by his mother, Sanda Jefferson, his fathers Onesimo Nevarez and James G. Jefferson, and his brother Dannie Jefferson. Lou was dearly cherished by his extended family. His beloved sister-in-law, Michelle White, was more like a sister to him. Having lost two fathers so early in life, Lou loved and treasured his father-in-law, Gene Huffman. Lou was also very close to his brother-in-law Mark White, and they always had fun scaring the trick-or-treaters together on Halloween. He was very proud of his nephew Samuel and was excited to see him become a star baseball player. Lou also became good friends with Uncle Bert Huffman, and they enjoyed watching Western movies and sports together. Lou left Durango, Mexico, at the age of four after losing his birth father and he grew up in Hammond and Dyer, Indiana and Crete, Illinois. He grew up with his cousin Armando, who was more like a brother to him. They made movies together and it was Armando who gave him his lifelong nickname of “Screwie Louie.” As a teenager, Lou worked hard selling vegetables and fishing bait to put himself through college. Lou graduated from Wabash College in 1984 with an economics degree, earning the prestigious Benjamin A. Rogge Memorial Award in economics. He was also a talented artist, and his art professor joked that Lou looked like a “mad cellist” when his hair got too long. Lou was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity and the Sphinx Club. In 1984, Lou married his lifelong love Debra on the grounds of the General Lew Wallace Museum and Study in Crawfordsville, Indiana. They honeymooned in Chicago to see their beloved Cubbies. Louie and Debbie have many cherished memories, sharing their love of music, movies, and most of all their two amazing daughters. They recently celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary on September 15th. Lou’s first job after graduating Wabash was managing a Camelot music store, where his love and knowledge of music came in handy. Lou later worked in insurance as a top agent, started his own business in the restaurant safety industry, and was a contractor in the construction industry. In 1989, Lou and Deb had their first daughter, Lyndsey, and in 1996, their second daughter, Taylor, was born. Lou was incredibly proud of his girls and raised them to be the strong and kind young women they are today. Lou loved spending time with his two daughters by watching movies and taking drives while listening to music. He took Lyndsey and Taylor to comic book conventions and he and Taylor enjoyed fishing together. As a family, they enjoyed taking trips and shared many wonderful memories from their Alaskan cruise, Niagara Falls trip, and several summer vacations to Disney World. Lou and Deb also loved decorating their house for Halloween and Christmas. Lou was a dog lover and the family had three cocker spaniels over the years: Ginger, Lady, and Katie. Lou loved movies, 60s and 70s music, and Universal classic monster films. Everyone who knew Lou will remember that he had a million one-liners, the majority of which came from a movie. As a teenager, Lou made his own movies using his Super 8 camera. He enjoyed sharing good meals with his family and his signature dish was his amazing Cajun jambalaya. He was a lifelong supporter of the Chicago Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks. Known for his goofy sense of humor and love of practical jokes, he made everyone around him laugh. Lou was a kind, intelligent, funny, and big-hearted man who will be dearly missed by his wife, daughters, and everyone who knew and loved him.