Jeffery James Twitchell

Jeffery James Twitchell, age 41, passed away peacefully on Saturday morning, August 22, 2026, from complications of congestive heart failure. Jeffery was born on September 30, 1984, in Orem. Utah, to Keven Twitchell and Debbie Twitchell. He weighed 7 pounds at birth. His parents bought a home in West Jordan and that became his early childhood home. Jeffery was a child of divorce. When his parents separated in 1989, Jeffery chose to live with his father, who later married his stepmother, Debra, in November of 1991. His three brothers remained with their biological mother until the 1994–1995 school year, when they moved in with Jeffery, his father, and Debra. Jeffery spent much of his childhood in American Fork, Utah, where he attended Forbes Elementary, American Fork Junior High, and American Fork High School. Throughout high school, he was known by his nickname, “Twitch.” Jeffery was active, competitive, and proud of his strength. He played many sports throughout his life, including soccer, basketball, baseball, street hockey, wrestling, and football. He loved competition and always wanted to be the strongest person in the group. Jeffery had a strong personality and was never afraid to share his opinions. He enjoyed debating religion, discussing conspiracy theories, and challenging people to think differently. His argumentative temper occasionally got him into trouble, and many of those stories have become family memories we can now recall with laughter. But Jeffery was also fiercely protective of the people he loved. When Jeffery was in elementary school, he defended another student who was being bullied. In sixth grade, when his younger brother Scott was being bullied on the way home from school, Jeffery fought off three bullies who were picking on him. This earned Jeffery the nickname “the Enforcer.” He also got into a gang fight while defending his youngest brother, Derek. Jeffery was a loving and supportive brother to Scott, Deven, and Derek. The brothers made short films together, and Jeffery always seemed to get cast as the bad guy. He supported his brothers in their interests and enjoyed spending time with them.

Jeffery was also an artist and an imaginative thinker. He loved creating and designing different worlds and inventions. He imagined flying cars and once proposed using magnets to keep streets warm during the winter. His imagination could take an ordinary idea and turn it into something completely new. He loved movies and was frequently at the Cinemark catching up on the latest Hollywood releases. He also enjoyed video games and could spend hours immersed in the worlds they created. As a child, Jeffery loved dinosaurs, G.I. Joes, Legos, video games, computer games, camping, fishing, and attending Lagoon every year. He loved being outdoors and going on adventures. He also loved the cold and wished it could be cold all the time. He would sleep with his windows open during the winter because he enjoyed the cold air so much. He often said he would love to live in Alaska. He had several foster brothers and many cousins and loved having a large extended family. One special memory was when Jeffery and Scott served as home-teaching companions before Scott left on his mission. Those experiences gave the brothers time together and created memories they would carry with them. Jeffery was also a devoted friend. He was the kind of friend who would get himself into all kinds of shenanigans simply because he wanted to help someone. He was loyal to the people he cared about and was always willing to stand beside his friends. He was also an excellent gift giver. Birthdays and Christmas gave Jeffery an opportunity to show people that he had been paying attention. He enjoyed finding gifts that he thought someone would genuinely appreciate.

Work, Education, and Adventures

Jeffery worked a variety of jobs throughout his life. He worked at McDonald's and Kohl's, as a call center representative and census taker with the Department of Commerce, a car salesman, earned his CDL, and eventually became a truck driver. His most recent employment was with Moxie Pest Control. His time at McDonald's became a memorable family connection because nearly all his siblings worked at the same McDonald's in American Fork at some point. His cousin and foster brother/cousin, Alan Nielson, worked there, and Scott took his place when Jeffery left to serve his mission. Deven and Derek also worked there. The family connection continued at Kohl's. Jeffery's father helped Scott, Jeffery, and Deven get jobs there, where they worked in housekeeping and truck unloading. What could have been ordinary jobs became shared family experiences.

One special memory involving Jeffery's biological mother, Debbie, dates back to his years as a truck driver. After Jeffery finished driving trucks, he drove cross-country from Florida to Utah with his mother when she decided to move back home. That road trip became a meaningful memory between mother and son. Jeffery attended Utah Valley University from 2012–2014 and again from 2015–2016. He majored in accounting and later hoped to pursue a master's degree in business and accounting. Jeffery's mission was another important chapter in his life. He served in Honolulu, Hawaii, from 2004 to 2006, and he loved his mission. He often talked about his experiences and how much he learned and grew while serving. Jeffery was proud of his Native American heritage and wanted to learn more about his ancestry and origins.

Marriage and Fatherhood

Jeffery and Whitney began dating in early June 2011 and married on August 19, 2011. On Thanksgiving Day that same year, they learned they were going to become parents. Their first daughter, Aubriella Twitchell, was born on July 26, 2012, while they were living in American Fork. Jeffery and Whitney were sealed for time and eternity in the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple on September 28, 2013. Their marriage later ended in divorce in March 2019. Their second daughter, Dorothy Twitchell, was born on June 28, 2018. Jeffery loved being a father, and both of his daughters held a special place in his heart. One of Aubriella's favorite memories was the silly bedtime stories Jeffery would create. He could take an ordinary object, such as a spoon or a marker, and turn it into an imaginative story in which the object could make pictures come to life. Those silly stories were simple moments, but they became treasured childhood memories. Jeffery dreamed of having a large family. He wanted six children, and the miscarriages he and Whitney experienced between Aubriella and Dorothy were deeply painful for both of them. Jeffery loved spending time with family. Family camping trips were some of the vacations they took together. They also enjoyed road trips to visit family, going to Seven Peaks, watching movies, and bowling. Jeffery was known for his ability to talk for hours about almost anything. He loved joking, laughing, debating, and sharing ideas. And he gave some of the best bear hugs.

His Health Journey

Jeffery's health journey began in 2012, shortly after Aubriella was born. He began experiencing a heavy feeling in his chest and difficulty breathing. A chest X-ray revealed that his heart was severely enlarged. After further testing, Jeffery was diagnosed with dilated, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. He was also diagnosed with sleep apnea and received a CPAP machine, which helped him tremendously. His heart function was initially around 58–60%. Over the years, it declined and required ongoing medication, monitoring, and an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator and pacemaker, known as an ICD. In February 2014, Jeffery and Whitney moved to Preston, Idaho. Later that year, his heart function had declined to approximately 50–52%, and the left and right sides of his heart were struggling to beat together properly. The ICD helped him tremendously. In 2016, Jeffery and Whitney moved to Pahrump, Nevada. His heart function declined again to approximately 48–50%. He was referred to a specialist at UMC in Las Vegas who specialized in heart transplantation. He was placed on new medication and encouraged to lose weight to improve his heart health. He also underwent surgery to have his appendix removed. In early 2018, Jeffery underwent gastric sleeve surgery to help with weight loss. Following the surgery and medication changes, his heart function improved to approximately 52–54%. Jeffery lived with his heart condition for nearly fourteen years. Although his health presented significant challenges, he continued to work, learn, love, travel, build relationships, and make memories.

A New Chapter With Fia

After his divorce from Whitney, Jeffery began a new chapter in his life. In February 2019, Jeffery was hired by Sykes Enterprises in Orem. During orientation, he stood out for actively asking questions and engaging in the discussion. It was there that Jeffery met Fialogo “Fia” Esekia. Fia initially wasn't interested in Jeffery, but during a group activity they became partners and began talking. Jeffery learned that Fia was from Samoa, while Fia learned that Jeffery had served his mission in Hawaii. Jeffery's knowledge and appreciation of Polynesian culture made an impression on her.

Fia eventually called Jeffery in April, leading to their first date. Jeffery later introduced her to his family during the annual Simpson Springs camping trip. They dated from April until July and were married in Provo City Court on July 10, 2019. They remained married until Jeffery's passing and celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary in 2026. Jeffery and Fia did not have children together, but their marriage brought another family into Jeffery's life. In 2024, Jeffery traveled to Samoa to meet Fia's family. During that visit, he developed a close bond with them and became deeply connected to her family. The relationships he formed there became an important part of his later life.

Remembering Jeffery

Jeffery's life was not without struggles. Like all of us, he had imperfections, challenges, and things he continued to work through. His journey included difficult moments as well as beautiful ones.

But those challenges were only one part of his story.

Jeffery was “Twitch.”

He was “the Enforcer.”

He was the competitive athlete who wanted to be the strongest.

He was the brother who fiercely protected Scott, Deven, and Derek.

He was the artist who imagined flying cars and streets warmed by magnets.

He was the son who took a cross-country road trip with his mother.

He was the missionary who loved his time in Honolulu.

He was the student who could become frustrated over a math problem but refused to give up.

He was the father who could turn a spoon or a marker into a magical bedtime story.

He was the husband who built a new life with Fia and formed a lasting bond with her family in

American Samoa.

He was the friend who would get into shenanigans just to help someone.

He was the person who carefully chose birthday and Christmas gifts because he wanted people

to know he was thinking about them.

He was the person who loved movies, sports, video games, camping, fishing, dinosaurs,

Lagoon, and the cold.

He was the man who could talk for hours about religion, conspiracy theories, ideas, life, or

almost anything else.

And he was the man who gave some of the best bear hugs.

Jeffery passed away on Saturday morning, August 22, 2026, at the age of 41, just 40 days short of his 42nd birthday. He lived nearly fourteen years knowing that his heart was not healthy. Doctors once told him he might have only eight years without a transplant, yet Jeffery continued living, loving, working, learning, laughing, arguing, joking, traveling, raising his children, building relationships, and making memories for years beyond that prediction. His life was more than his illness, his struggles, or the circumstances surrounding his death.

His life was his family.

It was his brothers, foster brothers, cousins, friends, and the people who became family along the way.

It was the people he protected.

It was the people he made laugh.

It was the people he challenged.

It was the people he loved.

Jeffery leaves behind countless stories—some funny, some adventurous, some difficult, and many deeply meaningful. Those stories will continue to be told, and the memories he created will live on in the people who knew and loved him.

He is loved.

He is remembered.

And he will never be forgotten.

Survived By

His wife, Fialogo “Fia” Esekia; his daughters, Aubriella Twitchell and Dorothy Twitchell; his parents, Keven Twitchell and Debbie Twitchell; father-in-law, Uialatea Aiono Isua Esekia Su’a; his brothers, Scott Twitchell (Ming), Deven Twitchell, and Derek Twitchell; members of Fia's foster family, including Alan Nielson (Lindy) and Jay Patterson (Annie), who were loved as part of her family; niece, Kimberly “Kat” Richardson; ex-wife, Whitney Byington; step-grandma, Leah Hone Elliott; sisters-in-law, La’avasa Esekia Ng-Shui and Lo’i Esekia Andrews; brothers-in-law, Joshua Junior Esekia and Samitioata Esekia Frank; and his many aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family members.

Preceded in Death By

His stepmother, Debra Janet Elliott Twitchell; mother-in-law, Temukisa Laulu Ah-Chee; grandfather, Edward Shirey Jr. Twitchell, Philip Edward Griffin; grandmother, Virginia Myrle Hester Twitchell, Venice Ball Griffin; step-grandfathers, Von M. Hutchings and Bert Arnold Elliott; step-grandmothers, Lila Hutchings and Myrtle Jean Dudley Hutchings; aunt, Janette Twitchell Witte; uncles, Lynn Nielson, Bert Arnold Elliott Jr., and Craig Hutchings; brother-in-law, Ronald Tatupu Esekia; and cousins, Bryan Witte, Nathan Witte, Kayden Carter, Brandon Barney, and Alexis Joy Sass.

Memorial Service & Celebration of Life

A Memorial Service & Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 11038 Braidwood Dr., South Jordan, UT 84009. Set-up will take place from 12:00–1:00 PM, followed by the Memorial Service & Celebration of Life from 1:00–2:00 PM. Food and visiting will follow from 2:00–3:00 PM, with visiting and reminiscing from 3:00–4:00 PM. Clean-up and take-down will take place from 4:00–5:00 PM.