Jen passed away last night at about 8pm. I was with her at the time and was fortunate enough to have several friends who were with me by her bedside. Lisa, Jen L., and Srini - I cannot thank you enough and express how much it meant to me to have you here with me and Jen as she slipped away.
Jen fought this fight with such vigor and with such a positive attitude. There were of course moments during the fight when Jen was scared, sad, or frustrated, but she was never angry or resentful. She wanted to keep fighting even as recent as a couple of weeks ago, before she took a significant turn for the worse. That's how much Jen loved life. She embraced it fully. In her final act of giving, Jen has donated her brain to UCLA for research. This was something that she was adamant about doing almost from the beginning of this journey. She hoped that if she couldn't beat this cancer then perhaps her death could help with research that could save others down the road. That is the kind of person Jen was. I know I'm biased, but she was the most amazing person I have ever known. I will forever be truly blessed to have had her in my life. I can't begin to express the grief I feel now. I will always feel as if a part of me is missing. Jen was the best part of my life and I am eternally grateful that we had 31 years together. It will never be enough, I wish we had 31 more.
I will post info about a memorial service on this blog once the details are sorted out.
I also want to share some photos and a quick movie that were sent to me by a friend today. Some of these are pictures I had never seen. This is how I want to remember Jen - ever full of life. If anyone else has any pictures with Jen, please send them to me. It would mean a lot.
Just hanging out with Srini & Cheryl about a year ago. Jen loved
music and loved to dance. When Jen & I first met it was at a
dance club during a mutual friend's birthday party. I'm being
a goofball here, but usually I would be dancing right with her.
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| A Christmas Party from 2015 |
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| A Tiki party from 2015 |
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| A Christmas Party from 2010 |
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| From a Port Party we hosted in 2011 |
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Jen's Birthday Party from 2011. I had live Maryland blue crabs flown in
as a surprise. One of Jen's favorite foods. |
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| At lunch for Srini's Birthday in 2012 |
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| New Year's Eve 2015 |
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| Our Wedding Day! |
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| At my Birthday party in 2015 |
