Birth date: Mar 11, 1991 Death date: Sep 6, 2021
Jessica Schroeder, age 30, passed away on Monday, September 6, 2021. She was born to Mark & Alison Schroeder and grew up in Canton, CT alongside her brother, James Schroeder. Jess was married to Melanie Lee and they began buildin Read Obituary
I met Jess my first year of college, when I was visiting my best friend Claire at Tulane for Halloween (in the picture, Jess is in the white ) She was such a light- so accepting of me immediately even though I was visiting. She wanted me to enjoy New Orleans and be just as much a part of the party and group as anyone else who was there. Every memory I have of her was one of celebration. My life is better because I crossed paths with Jess.
When I think of Jess there are so many words that come to mind: captivating, compassionate, energetic, vibrant, determined, strong-willed, loyal, fierce, brave, dedicated... But more than anything, Jess was the definition of love. She cherished the people in her life with unmatched intensity and it is through her relationships (as well as so many other amazing accomplishments) that her legacy will live on. There was no crossing paths with Jess without coming away unchanged for the better. I am so grateful that the world got to have her for 30 amazing years and I hope that I can spend the next 30 (and more) carrying her spirit with me as I try to embody everything she helped me to become.
I vividly remember the first time meeting Jess. My husband and I had been living in SLC for a year and we had been searching for a house. We pulled up to look at a house on 300 E with our realtor, and Jess comes running out of her house screaming our realtor’s name, “Craig! Craig!” We soon found out that Craig and Dallas had sold Jess and Mel their house a year before. Jess comes up to us and says “If you buy this house, you’ll have the coolest neighbors - I promise!”
She wasn’t wrong! Jess lived the definition of a good neighbor. She was always friendly and approachable and down for a chat about work, life, or books she was reading. I have so many tender, sweet memories of her - the kind of memories you accumulate when you live so close in proximity to someone. Like the cookies she would leave by our door when her and Mel made extras, the texts about a package when she knew we were out of town, checking in on how house renovations were going and swapping landscape ideas.
During the time I lived next to Jess, I had an opportunity to meet some of her amazing friends and family. She surrounded herself with good people, and I’m so lucky I had the chance to know her and live so close.
I had the honor of growing up with Jess and remaining friends throughout our lives. She was a person of immense intelligence, strength and integrity. I was always getting my newest book recommendation from her and was so grateful for her constant positivity and presence. I will never forget our sleepovers during high school with all our girlfriends and our celebration of our 21st birthdays together in NYC. She was always ready for a fun celebration :-) I am thankful to have had her as a friend and admire so much how much she continued to make her friends her top priority through the end. Thank you for everything Jess, we love you :heart:
Jess is one of those people whose balance of brain, heart, and spirit shines through with warmth and sass the second you meet her. She is celebrated and grieved by someone like me who only met her in person a few times. What an impact she has had—she’s unforgettable. Thank you for sharing yourself with me, Jess, and for creating so much love; and thank you, Melanie, for introducing me to your love. I believe we all come from the stars and she’s making more of them now. xoxo
