Jamie Lynn Virnig

After nearly 3 years of battling breast cancer Jamie finally found peace. She was very private about her cancer battle and wanted to focus her energy on her family, and living life. She remained a stubborn warrior to the end, fighting for every minute she could with her husband and the kids alongside her, never giving up.

Jamie was born on Sunday, January 23, 1977 at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque NM and was raised mostly here in the PNW, visiting family in Iowa in the summers. In high school she attended Holy Names Academy, and was a competitive down hill ski racer. While we met after her competitive days were over, I have seen her ski and can imagine that watching her compete would have been quite the sight.

After high school she attended the University of Washington, where we met in the fall of 1995. She completed the Airforce ROTC program, earning a degree in Psychology, getting her commission as an officer in the United States Airforce, she moved to Utah where she served with the 34th fighter squadron at Hill AFB as a personnel officer, and then with the 62nd Airlift wing at McChord AFB in Washington. During the last 6 months of her time at McChord she served in Operation Enduring Freedom at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in Uzbekistan, before separating from the military in 2003 at the rank of Captain.

We were married in the summer of 2003 in Seattle, living in Woodinville, where we still live. She studied interior design at Bellevue College, but never finished her AA, since she wanted to be at home to raise her children. In 2009 we welcomed Matthew, and in 2011 Lily, completing our family of four. She loved being a Mom more than anything, and the way our kids have handled the last week are a testament to how well she raised them. One of her deepest wishes for her kids was that they be close when they are older. Based on how much they have leaned into each other for support I know she would be proud of them.

With a 3 year old and a 1 year old in tow, she put her interior design skills to use, designing and acting as the general contractor for construction of our home in Grapeview. In 2016 she decided that since the kids were going to be in school she wanted to work, and started at Keep it Simple Farm in Redmond, a job that she absolutely loved. She often took the kids into work with her to play with the animals. During the last few years she has been focused on raising the kids, and her health.

She was a lifelong learner, picking up new subjects to study throughout life, interior design, architecture, organic gardening, baking, religion, and, out of necessity, cancer. While she was private about her cancer, she loved to talk about the other subjects. She had many "waiting room conversations" with people in the last few years about sourdough baking, gardening and Jesus. Her loss leaves a hole in the lives of her family that will never be filled.