Jayne Marie Ashby, 44, May 30, 1968-April 9, 2013

Obituary courtesy of Hultgren Funeral Home:

Jayne Marie Ashby, age 44, known affectionately as "Jaynie" and "mommy," completed her marathon against ovarian cancer on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at her home in Wheaton, Illinois. Jayne crossed the finish line with grace and dignity, surrounded by her loving husband Chuck Jackel, daughter Lauren Jackel, parents Gary and Pam Ashby and dogs Kona and Deacon. Chuck and Jayne celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on December 2, 2012.

Jayne was born May 30, 1968 at Tacoma General Hospital and grew up in the Northeast Tacoma neighborhood. She attended Northeast Tacoma Elementary, McCarver Elementary and Meeker Junior High. Jayne met her best friend Ane at McCarver in the 5th grade and they were part of each other's lives all the way to the end.

Jayne and Chuck met in high school journalism class in the fall of 1983 and started dating about a year later. They fell in love. Jayne and Chuck experienced the ups and downs like all couples but their love was strong, passionate and enduring. Jayne graduated from Stadium High School in June 1986 and worked in Tacoma for a few months before joining Chuck in Hawaii.

They married in Honolulu, Hawaii in December 1987 and the love story continued with the birth of their only child, Lauren, on May 31, 1991. Jayne was alone during most of her pregnancy but had the strength and stamina to carry on while Chuck was deployed during the first Gulf War. She was a strong and determined mom and Navy spouse, taking care of Lauren, the house, the dogs and working full time while her husband was away at sea. Jayne even made time to finish her college degree.

Jayne loved children, so she became a nanny and Montessori teacher. Her love for children was so obvious in the way she listened, her affectionate smile and tenderness. Jayne was a nanny for a prominent family and a teacher at Montessori Community School in Honolulu from 1987 to 1990. She continued her career in early childhood education at Cougar Mountain Montessori in Bellevue, Washington from 1990 to 1996.

For over 20 years, Jayne stood by her husband when the Navy ordered him back and forth between the West Coast to the East Coast. Jayne faced change and upheaval with a positive outlook and tenacity. Jayne would get up at the crack of dawn to get Lauren off to school so she could study while Lauren and Chuck were gone for the day. She had enrolled into community college in Newport, Rhode Island to prepare for admission into the Psychology program at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

The Navy always found a way to have Chuck at sea when the movers arrived. Jayne moved into the new house in Virginia with the help of neighbors and started on her journey to earning her bachelor degree. Jayne would always be with Lauren in the morning and after Lauren came home from school. Jayne made it a priority to be a loving wife and mom first, so she waited until Lauren went to bed before starting on her college studies. Jayne made this four-year long routine look effortless as she achieved academic excellence. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with Honors with the Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Jayne was a member of PSI CHI, the National Honor Society in Psychology and was honored with the publishing of her research in a prestigious academic journal.

Jayne combined her love of education and helping people with a career at Bates Technical College from 2000 to 2010 in numerous roles, including grant coordinator and assistant instructor. Jayne had a knack for listening to her students and truly cared about their wellbeing. She was a loyal friend and enjoyed working with her colleagues, and found time to share her love of cycling with a few close friends at Bates.

Marathon running, cycling and triathlons were Jayne's favorite activities, and she lived her life with vigor and determination. Jayne always found a way to accomplish a goal, but put her husband and daughter first. She supported Chuck when he decided to change careers and encouraged Lauren to explore the world by going to college in Chicago. Even when attending college or pursuing her career, Jayne would make the time to support Lauren’s girl scout troop by being the cookie mom for six consecutive years. She would pack the scouts and cookies into the car and take everyone to their sales event at the grocery store. Jayne did all this with the same passion she had for loving Chuck and Lauren.

Jayne lived her life to the fullest. She was accepted into the doctoral program at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and was pursuing a PhD for Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the time of her cancer diagnosis. Jayne's battle with cancer was not 20 months spent in bed. She received chemotherapy treatments in the morning at Northwestern Hospital and jumped in the car to drive herself to the IIT campus in the south side of Chicago. The remainder of her day was a grueling schedule of graduate courses and heavy reading. Jayne faced cancer with courage, enthusiasm and faith that life would lead her to a better place.

Jayne’s beautiful smile and endless energy inspired doctors, nurses and patients at Northwestern Hospital. She always found a way to make people laugh. To Jayne fighting cancer was like training for a marathon. Jayne never complained about the numerous surgeries that destroyed her reproductive system and digestive tract nor did she complain about the side effects from the chemotherapy. Jayne had the strength and determination to attend graduate school up until mid-October 2012 when she learned the disease was progressing beyond hope for a cure.

Jayne never allowed cancer to define her as a person. She would call Chuck at work and ask how he was doing even though she was suffering a great deal of pain. Jayne would constantly concern herself with Lauren’s progress at Loyola University Chicago. Jayne's goal was to be at Lauren's college graduation on May 10, 2013. She was a dynamo with endless energy and love for her family. Words cannot describe how much Jayne is loved and missed by everyone. One of the last things she said to Chuck and Lauren was that she loved them would be watching over them in Heaven.

Jayne is survived by her husband Chuck, daughter Lauren Jackel of Wheaton, IL, parents Gary and Pamela Ashby of Tacoma, WA, brothers Wayne (Laura) Ashby of Lakebay, WA and Ryan (Shannon) Ashby of Auburn, WA. Aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins also survive Jayne. She will always be in our hearts and we look forward to the moment when we are by Jayne's side once again.