Jaime Claire Asbury, age 38, who had a passion in working with organizations whose mission was to serve others, left this world unexpectedly, on March 5,2021 in Irving, Texas after losing her brave and courageous battle with Bipolar Disorder. While some knew of her mental illness, and others did not, all knew of her beauty, creativeness, wit, and loving, giving spirit. Jaime is survived by her remarkable soul-mate of five years, Philip Cammarata, with whom she lived in San Antonio, Texas, her parents Bonnie and David Priest of Albuquerque, New Mexico, her father John Asbury of Ardmore, Oklahoma, her sister and brother-in-law Alexandra and Lee Anderson, III, and baby nephew, Lee Anderson IV of Irving, Texas, and her brother Aryn Priest of Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is also survived by her Aunt Bernie and Uncle John Phillips, Aunt Jan and Uncle John Williamson, Uncle Allen Bond, Uncle Steve Asbury, and numerous cousins. Jaime is preceded in death by her grandparents Pat and Wilson Pruitt, Dr. Bill Bond, Sam and Hope Asbury, John and Betty Priest, all of Oklahoma City, and Nina Rodriguez and Gilbert Herrman of Kansas.
Jaime was born on January 2, 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and moved with her parents to San Antonio Texas in 1988. She attended Middle School and High School in Boerne Texas, graduated from University of Texas San Antonio with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Public Relations and then began her career passion of working for non-profits that included Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, Benedictine Sisters of Boerne, KLRU-TV Austin City Limits, and the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas where she had worked for the past 6 years. The Benedictine Sisters loved Jaime and saw her as a Co-minister who was always kind, and helpful, never without a smile, and always filled with a bubbly attitude. Jaime’s Girl Scout co-workers expressed gratefulness and appreciation for her commitment to quality work, dedication to the girls and success of the organization, and always lending a helping hand.
Jaime was brilliant, inquisitive, and fiercely conscientious. From a very young age, her astuteness and clever insight commanded she be given truthful, and unadulterated information to her inquiries which led to events such as her accurately teaching her Villa Teresa preschool classmates what she had learned about the birds and the bees when family friends were expecting their first baby. Beyond the standards of regular guidelines and ploys, Jaime did not hesitate to correct or debate peers, parents, professors, and others when she felt they were imparting incorrect or inaccurate information. Throughout her life she identified unfairness for what it was, had little patience with idle or insincere words and gestures, stood up for her strong beliefs of social and moral justice, and was not afraid to express her opinions. These traits could often get her into hot water, but were also her magnificent strengths in performing compassionate works and in forming meaningful and lasting relationships.
In her teen years, Jaime thoroughly enjoyed volunteer activities at the Cibolo Nature Center, Triple-H Equitherapy, and Kendalia Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation. She loved all animal life from Sea World’s marine animals to the boxer dogs rescued by her family. Jaime was an aficionado of the music of a multitude of bands and she loved to attend live music performances in San Antonio and Austin. As an avid fan of a large array of movies, she was a devotee to Cohen Brothers and was an expert in all things Big Lebowski. Jaime cherished her time with friends playing board games and attending Trivia Nights, and together with Phil, she became an enthusiast of craft breweries and beers, and even connected with a group of women for Girls Pints Out that included a book club. She had joined Phil in taking up an interest in learning to play guitar, and was looking forward to their move to Maryland where Phil had accepted a new job.
In spite of all of Jaime’s wonderful accomplishments and beautiful, amazing, and endearing qualities, the bipolar disorder that was diagnosed during her senior year of high school was a beast that continued to lurk within and would not remain tamed, even after hospitalization and years of successful treatment with medication. Her history of the hallmark symptoms of severe depression, and severe mania with psychosis were known to some family and friends; and the fairly recent presence of mild depression, irritability, anxiety, suspiciousness, obsessiveness, simplified lifestyle, and not feeling well, were easily attributable to COVID-19 with its required restrictions and social isolation. We did not realize that these subtle symptoms were signs of psychosis and of the beast taking her to a place of losing touch with reality as many know it. We did not realize that the beast could quickly switch into a darker, deeper, form that would cause Jaime to feel she needed to end her own life in this realm. We, and she, knew there was a need to re-tune her mental health regime, but we did not know that she would slip between our fingertips before additional professional help could be obtained.
Even with the awareness, care, and support of loved ones, trying to find mental health help when being dragged down slowly is difficult – appointments are not available for months, openings for new patients do not exist, changing providers is messy, insurance covers only certain providers, hospitals will admit only those who are blatantly ill, trained providers are overworked, and are lacking in sufficient numbers. Our mental health is being challenged as never before and the threat is rising through the pervasiveness of a deep history of stigma, fear, and paucity of education. There is inadequate funding and the landscape of resources is overwhelmed, so we fail to apply our ability to treat this terrible suffering on the scale that is needed. How long can you or your loved one survive in this situation?
To all of those who loved Jaime as family, friend, and colleague and to all who gave encouragement, support and contributions to the community organizations that she was a part of, we thank you. We thank you for being a greater part of our lives and for being more to Jaime and to us than you may realize. She was a gateway to amplifying our ability to give back to this world we share, this life we share. And even in death, she is affecting the lives of others who are benefitting from her being a tissue donor. Her obituary is by necessity more than a brief history of a brilliant young woman’s life and tragic death. The world needs this painful lesson of love and loss that we share here. Jaime calls us to a higher responsibility for our common humanity. We heed the message. Peace be with you Jaime. Rest in the arms of love of those who have gone before us and those you have left behind.
Cremation March 23, 2021. Jaime’s family and friends will be having a Zoom Memorial for her on March 28, 2021.
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