Jeffrey Darren Muse

Jeff Darren Muse

Age: 57

Fishers, Indiana

Died: 9/23/2026

Jeff passed away at home in Fishers, Indiana. He was diagnosed with Glioblastoma (brain cancer) in July 2023 and it was that cancer which stole Jeff from those who loved him.

Jeff was a native Hoosier, hiker, writer, and cancer fighter; a park ranger, historical interpreter and committed environmentalist; a husband, son, brother, uncle, and friend.

Jeff was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 8, 1969. He was a graduate of Mt. Vernon High School in Fortville; Depauw University in Greencastle; Audubon Expedition Institute in Belfast, Maine; and Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. He played football for Depauw and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

Jeff’s book, Dear Park Ranger, was published in 2023. It’s been honored by Indiana Authors Awards, Nautilus Book Awards, and Foreword Reviews, which deemed it a finalist for a 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Award.

Jeff was a lifelong learner, mentor, and educator. He loved learning and teaching about the natural history of wherever he lived and traveled. He was passionate about wild places and ensuring people have access to those places for personal enrichment and adventure. In addition to his love of the natural world, Jeff was interested in human history and world cultures. He believed that through respectful conversation, we can see and acknowledge each other’s humanity.

Jeff is survived by his wife, Paula (Ogden); mother, Sue (Burkhart); brother, Alan; niece, Lauren; and nephews, Henry and Hudson. He was preceded in death by his father Wendell Keith Muse.

Memorial contributions are suggested in Jeff’s name to Central Indiana Land Trust or Sycamore Land Trust.

https://conservingindiana.org/  

https://sycamorelandtrust.org/