It is with great sadness that the Lund family announces the passing of their beloved Robert Jeffrey Lund, 74, of Long Beach, CA. Jeff was born on February 23rd, 1949, to Robert Harold Lund and Elizabeth Anne McConnell in Huntington Beach, CA, and passed away on March 11th, 2023. He was surrounded by his wife of 42 years Janet and their two daughters, Sarah and Amanda.

Jeff was a universally loved man with a generous spirit, warm heart, and wicked sense of humor. He wasn’t hard on the eyes, either. At 6’4” with an unrivaled head of hair, Jeff had a magnetic presence that made him popular through his school years and beyond. In his youth, Jeff enjoyed surfing along the California coast, trips to Mexico, and even the occasional toga party with his high school fraternity. He graduated from Lakewood High School in 1967, followed by the University of Southern California, where he earned his BA.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Jeff went into law. He attended the Pacific Coast School of Law in Long Beach and worked as a public defender for the County of Orange for 28 years. His colleagues remember fondly his ability to bring levity to an often difficult job. He mentored many young public defenders and taught criminal law for seven years. He deeply understood the importance of criminal defense lawyers in an oppressive justice system and always went beyond the call of duty for his clients. His wife, Janet, recalls coming home one day to find one of Jeff’s clients using their shower to freshen up before a trial. While some would find this a shock, Janet, and those who knew him best, were never surprised by Jeff’s abundance of empathy for others.

Jeff was a loving husband, father, and brother. The eldest of a blended family of 11, Jeff relished watching the lives of his younger siblings unfold. He had a mischievous sense of humor and partook in his fair share of ribbing. Jeff always preferred being in the company of others—the head seat at a dinner table full of many competing voices was his idea of happiness.

In 1980, Jeff married his law school sweetheart, Janet, and they had two daughters, Sarah and Amanda. Some of his most cherished memories included golfing with friends, family vacations to Palm Springs, Big Bear and Mammoth as well as the occasional racetrack outing, where he and his girls would bet on the horse with the silliest name, even if it had the worst odds. Jeff was a generous and playful father, always passing his daughters unsanctioned peanut butter cups on the sly and offering them the odd twenty dollar bill from his pocket.

In 2001, Jeff fought his first major health obstacle when he was diagnosed with cirrhosis. This was the beginning of twenty-two years of physical ups and downs. He retired from the public defender's office in 2008 due to his ongoing health problems. His family lovingly referred to him as the Teflon Man as he tenaciously survived many major surgeries, including a liver and kidney transplant. In an effort to live life to its fullest, Jeff quit drinking and remained proudly sober for 22 years. Janet was his devoted caretaker and companion, and Jeff made Janet, and anyone within earshot know how lucky he was to have her. Even when he was ill, Jeff enjoyed an occasional dinner out and always wanted to stay up to date with his friends and family, spending much of his recovery on the phone or Facebook catching up with those he loved. A phone call from Jeff always meant hearing wise words from a calming voice, and more often than not ended with a joke that would put even the most pressing of one’s problems into comedic perspective. Jeff’s hearty laugh, his wide open heart, and the ever-present sparkle in his eye are what his family will miss the most and will always strive to emulate in his honor.

Jeff is survived by his wife of 43 years, Janet Lund, his two daughters, Sarah Beth Lund and Amanda Lund Gourley, and his granddaughter and the apple of his eye, Glenne May Gourley, 18 months.

A Celebration of Life will be held for friends and family in April. Kindly reach out to jefflundmemorial@gmail.com if you’d like to attend. Jeff's family is forever grateful to his sister, Katie Ross, who donated her kidney to Jeff in 2012 and the anonymous donor whose liver was matched to Jeff in 2002. The family requests that remembrances of Jeff be made in the form of contributions to the American Transplant Foundation.

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