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High School Memories
(Photo above donated by Richard. Thanks, Richard!!)
I recently contacted Randy, who runs a site on Hoover High School alumni. He was nice enough to send me these memories from people that recall going to high school with Jeffrey and his twin sister Jennifer. In addition, he also contributed to the photos of Jeff during his high school years, which can be viewed here.
Annette,
I have been contacted over the years by several fans and Hoover alumni who
wanted to share information about Jeff.
Because you put forth such a terrific effort, I am going to share some excerpts
from these emails.
One fan contacted me and after I responded, she sent " I am a great fan of
his work...after graduation from Hoover, he went to Carnegie-Mellon University,
where he got involved in Godspell, a musical conceived by John-Michael Tebelak,
a man who also went to the college. The show is still enormously popular, and he
was an original off-Broadway cast member. He even went on to be in the movie
version (which is very good, I might add :) ). He also had roles in the
films Brewster's Millions and My Man Adam, and did a couple off-Broadway and
Broadway musicals. Unfortunately, I have some bad news for you...Jeff died in
1986 of AIDS. I was so upset when I found out, as I'm sure you'll be. But he was
incredibly talented in life, so that's what I focus on. I'm just trying to find
out anything about him, and that's why I want to find his sister. Do you know of
any way I could find her? And please tell me anything you know (that you're
willing to share) about Jeff. Thank you so much for your help!"
Later I replied back informing her of Jennifer's passing Oct 13, 2000
Another email from an alumnus had him saying, "Especially shocking to me was
that Jennifer Mylett died in 2000 after the tragic death of Jeff in 1986. As you
know, Jeff was a talented actor who died of AIDS in LA very young. A tragedy all
by itself. But I had not known that Jennifer too had passed away in her early
50s. Brother and sister both talented and smart people -- both dead -- What a
downer."
He replied to my response with "I can understand the response to the Myletts'
since Jeff was pretty famous as a national figure for awhile. I doubt that he
ever knew the cause of his own illness: AIDS was not really understood by
medicine at the time. The newspaper accounts at the time mentioned only a
flu-like illness which rapidly did him in. I knew them only casually although I
do recall having a brief crush on Jennifer in the 6th grade. We were both in the
same classes at St. Paul's. I hated catholic grade school. I think Jennifer too
hated it. But I cannot recall even seeing Jeff until Hoover and then he bloomed
big time. Has anyone ever told you the cause of Jennifer's demise?. An illness
perhaps or an accident?"
After I sent him Jennifer's obit, he replied "
I learned some new facts
about Jennifer from the obituary you sent. I see she studied in Russia but since
she was good at languages at Hoover, studying French for instance, that was not
really surprising. I was more a math and science nut so we did not cross paths
that much at Hoover. I was in the math club, and Jennifer was in the French club
etc. Jeff too was into other interests although he did sign my yearbook so we
must of had some kind of friendship. Also, I see she lived as Jennifer May in
Washington D.C. for a long time and I too lived in that area for many years
without knowing she was in the vicinity. I do remember a guy named Joe May but
he was not likely related since it's a very populated area around D.C. Jennifer
was only one of the people I had thought I'd like to meet at a reunion just to
see how her life had turned out being that she was so smart and sweet at Hoover.
That was one reason the news was so shocking. It's not that uncommon for people
to succumb to an illness in their fifties -- I almost lost my life a in 2002 to
a serious illness -- but that BOTH she and Jeff died was pretty sad. And also
her mother is gone but her father still survives."
Thanks, Randy!!
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