Jeffrey Jay Enders, 60

Jeffrey Jay Enders, 60, left this Earth on March 13, 2010, after battling cancer for the last five years, to join his parents in a better place. Jeff was born Feb. 15, 1950, to Colonel Jerry Joseph and Geraldine Dimmick Enders in Auburn, Wash

Jeff had the privilege of living life all over the world as a child of the military. Jeff’s family returned to Spokane in the early ’70s where he returned as well.

Jeff was well known by many, as a local businessman in the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area. His restaurant career began at his Uncle Vernon’s restaurant “The Castle” on the south hill in the early ’70s. He subsequently worked for “Chapter Eleven” where his career flourished working in Spokane, Yakima, Tri-Cities and Seattle until 1983. He brought his bride-to-be from Seattle, Kelly A. Fitzgerald, to Spokane with him where he worked for and eventually owned Dewey Cheatam & Howe Restaurant on North Division. His last wild ride, and change of pace in his working life (literally), was in his “Deuce” hauling stone down off Boise Peak in North Idaho for his company “Rock-itt” doing work for Sky High Quarries. 

He leaves behind his beloved son, Patrick Jay Enders, whom he was able to witness make it as a “walk-on” football player at the University of Idaho, and his wife of 26 years, Kelly A. Enders. He is also survived by his brother, Jerry J. Enders (Seabeck, Wash.); his aunt, Carolyn Dimmick (Seattle) and cousins, Dana Scarp (Seattle) and Taylor Dimmick (Arizona); his mother-in-law, Norma Ray (Eugene, Ore.); his brother and sister-in-law, Shawn and Janet Fitzgerald (Canby, Ore.); sister and brother-in-law Sabrina and Mike Zanino (Delta, Pa.) and many nieces and nephews.

We wish to give our many thanks to all of our friends and neighbors for so graciously and lovingly helping us through such a difficult time. We would also like to thank the wonderful people at Hospice of North Idaho whose expertise and compassion helped us understand the process Jeff was going through and who made him very comfortable.

We ask in lieu of flowers that a donation be given to your favorite cancer research organization.

The committal service honoring Jeff will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, March 19, 2010, at Holy Cross Cemetery, North 7200 Wall, Spokane.