Roll Call Tribute

Published in Austin American-Statesman from Mar. 25 to Mar. 26, 2016

Jeffrey James CONARKO
CONARKO, Jeffrey James
Jeffrey James Conarko, age 45 and an Austin resident, passed away March 15, 2016, in Malaga, Spain, after a long struggle with arterial pulmonary hypertension and chronic myeloid leukemia. Jeff was born Sept. 16, 1970, in Moline, Ill. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in aerospace engineering in 1993, and pursued a successful career at Dell Inc. from 1994 to 2007, managing strategic partnerships across a variety of technical and business programs. There, he was instrumental in developing and maintaining Dell's working partnership with Microsoft. In 2009, Jeff left the corporate world to follow his dream of opening Con' Olio Oils & Vinegars, a premium tasting bar with three Austin-area retail locations. In 2013, he earned the distinction of Certified Olive Oil Sommelier from the prestigious ONAOO, the National Organization of Olive Oil Tasters, a classification that enabled him to further educate his Con' Olio customers. Jeff traveled the world extensively, gaining insight from other cultures and traditions, from 2007 until his passing. Jeff is survived by his loving wife, Tabatha; his daughters, Jaclyn and Gabrielle; his son, Gavin; his mother, Jeanne, of San Antonio; his sister, Jenna, of San Antonio; and his brother, Joseph, of Los Angeles; and three nieces. A memorial service will take place Friday, April 1, 2016, at 12:30 p.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, and will be followed by a celebration of Jeff's life with friends and family at Con' Olio Oils & Vinegars, 10000 Research Blvd., suite 130, Austin, Texas 78759. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Jeff's name to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association or The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society .