Jennifer Renee Torres Spieth

Jennifer Renee Torres Spieth bid her family and friends farewell and peacefully returned home April 16, 2025. Weeks before Jen passed away, she was given a poor prognosis by her medical team who said there was nothing more that could be done. Many that dearly loved her protested and asked “Why Jen?” Things like this were often said in Jen’s presence and while she understood the sentiment, she only countered it with “Why not me?” It was difficult to understand what she meant but in her very own words she explained, “I am at peace and have been for most of my life, even with how my physical life is ending I know my essence and soul will be eternal. I lived an amazing life, have a great family, made great friends and have been to amazing places. Please take comfort in knowing I'm going to THE best place. I handled everything that has been thrown at me during this life, because of Faith.“

Since all that was true, Jen reasoned, “why not her?” Faith sustained her in every circumstance and every aspect of her life. It was her faith in God, her faith in love, her faith in family and friends and her faith in eternal promises that carried her with dignity and grace up until the very end.

Jen was a light to all who knew her and shined brightly on everyone in her orbit. In her brief but beautiful time on this earth, Jen walked in a way that left everyone in her path a little more hopeful. She was hardwired for joy, resilient in a way that didn’t leave her bruised but only left her and everyone around her better. Curiosity was her roadmap and love was her guide. She was filled with joy & wonder and very aware of the gifts God gave her, careful to not let any of them go to waste. Never a moment taken for granted, keenly aware of the miracle in every breath, she lived in constant gratitude even when things got hard. With a knack for seeing others’ strengths she eagerly found endless ways to encourage and celebrate the people in her life, building them up and cheering them on. In a world that could be dismissive, cold and purposely divisive- Jen was the exact opposite.

There are so many things about Jen that will live in our collective memory forever: her incessant smile, her distinguished laugh, her ability to listen without judgement, her quiet wisdom that never felt pretentious, the committed way she served her community and built her career with integrity, her clever attention to detail, her gleeful love for Star Wars and dark roast coffee, her natural and quick ability to forgive, her carefully curated library of books and walls filled with art, her magnificent purple mohawk, her other worldly flexibility that came in handy as a yoga instructor, the thoughtfulness she put into every gift she gave, her “up for anything” energy, the unconditional way she showed up for her family, friends and fur-babies, her Yoda-like devotion to moments of stillness and sunrises, her annual anticipatory love for summer in Ohio, her witty yet quirky sense of humor and most of all her infinite, unwavering and abiding trust in Jesus. There are 1,000,000 ways to remember her and to appreciate the color she added to our lives.

It’s devastating to say goodbye to such a beautiful soul and it’s difficult to find the proper words for an ending that feels entirely too soon. So, in Jen’s honor, we’ll share some of her final thoughts for all who knew and loved her deeply.

“My faith and conviction gives me comfort, as it should to all of you, that there is a beautiful world that awaits me. Remember me as you choose...a daughter, a sister, a wife, a co-worker, a friend, a shoulder, a listener, a hugger, empathic, sympathetic and so on (seems the list is long, haha). I love you all and please pass that love on. BYEEEE "

We certainly will, Jen. We will love you forever. Until we see you again, enjoy the party in heaven.

In lieu of flowers, you may wish to dedicate a gift to the Cleveland Public Library in memory of Jennifer Torres Spieth. https://cpl.org/foundation/donate

"Live your life filled with joy and wonder"