Though the third year American employee usually worked on only Boston-to-San Francisco flights, Collman had switched to Flight 11's Boston-to-Los Angeles route for the month of September because of vacation plans involving his upcoming birthday.
Collman was an aspiring chef with a love of preparing dessert dishes and enjoyed flying for his work. He received the American Professional Flight Attendant Award in 1999. He was also a tennis fan and had attended the 2001 United States Open days before his passing.
At the time of his death, he was survived by his partner, his step-mother, four brothers and a sister.
Keith Bradkowski described Collman as courageous and safety-conscious, saying, "He was so focused on safety, if there was a threat, he would have done anything in his power to prevent it." Collman had spoken to Bradkowski on September 10, saying he was excited about his vacation. Bradkowski has become a spokesperson of sorts for gay rights and same-sex partner benefits since his spouse's death.[1]
Kay Collman, Jeffrey's stepmother, remembered him as having "had friends all over the world; he was a people person." She said, "He'd know the life histories of his passengers after just one flight."