By Matt Thacker
Jeffrey “Phro” Sieving, a 29-year-old Communication major at the University of Louisville, died Nov. 20 due to complications from a car accident on the Gene Snyder Expressway. Sieving, the only child of Mark and Evelyn Kay Sieving, was just a semester away from receiving his undergraduate degree.
Though an official cause of death hasn’t been released, Erik Ainsworth, a close friend of Sieving’s, said they believe he fell asleep while driving home alone late at night.
“He [Sieving] had an animated personality,” Ainsworth said. “He was very rarely ever upset or angry at anyone, the life of the party. He always had a smile on his face.”
Ainsworth said he and Sieving both graduated from Jeffersontown High School in 1994, but they didn’t know each other well until years later. Ainsworth lost contact with Sieving after high school, but they ran into each other six years later and quickly became best friends.
He said they shared an interest in old movies and would chat together on the phone or hang out and talk. Ainsworth, who has already received a degree from U of L, said Sieving mostly liked to talk about college and getting his degree.
Professor Vanessa Cunningham has had Sieving in two classes. This semester, he was in her feature writing class. She and a few students visited the funeral home to support Sieving’s parents. Maalik Dalton, one of the students who went, said he was shocked to hear the news.
“We all know each other and notice when someone’s missing from class,” Dalton said. “It’s terrible losing a classmate.”
“He performed well in class and was a wonderful writer. In fact, his classmates especially enjoyed when he read his articles aloud. They could easily distinguish his articles from theirs because he had an intriguing and unique style,” Cunningham said. She said his seat will remain empty for the rest of the semester.
Sieving’s classmates said he wrote dark but humorous stories in the style of Stephen King, and they described him as quiet, but also friendly and respectful. His unexpected death has caused some of his classmates to reflect on their own lives.
“Being so young, you kind of think you have this invincibility. My friends aren’t supposed to die,” said classmate Courtney Preston.
Sarah Marks said that since she heard of Sieving’s death she has realized the importance of expressing her feelings to people she cares about.
Ainsworth said things are getting back to normal, but he still misses his friend.
“You go to the phone to call your best friend and realize he’s not there,” he said. “It’s really hard.”
Ainsworth said Sieving’s parents are doing well considering the circumstances and plan to go out of town to visit family for the holidays.
A funeral service was held on Nov. 23 at Foreman Funeral Home in Jeffersontown. Sieving was buried at Cave Hill Cemetery.
