Saying goodbye to a beloved member of our work family

“When he shall die take him and cut him out into stars and he shall make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun.”— Shakespeare

Our Frontiersman and Alaska newspaper family suffered a tremendous loss this past week. Our co-worker and — more importantly — one of our favorite work family members Jennie Inga passed away unexpectedly.

After dining at her favorite restaurant during her lunch hour Tuesday, Jennie collapsed, suffering a brain aneurysm, according to her family.

Jennie’s beautiful spirit could be felt not only in our advertising department where she worked as a Special Projects Coordinator. Her positive energy resonated throughout our operation.

Jennie was hired in November of 2018. At her job interview, her personality really came through as she spoke. She was genuinely a happy person and loved life. Hiring her was an easy decision.

I will always remember each day as she came to work, she would look into my office and give a big smile and wave. She was engaged in her work and was very successful at it. I would also describe her as tenacious. She worked hard from the time she clocked in to the time she clocked out.

As a team we are all very much in shock at the loss of Jennie, whose birthday is May 5. She would have been celebrating her 30th. I recall one time in a light-hearted moment with her team she proclaimed May 5th as “Cinco de Jennie.” It was funny and typical of her humor.

Jennie married her sweetheart, Tyler Irsik, last fall and they were in the beginning stages of building a life together. They honeymooned during Valentine’s Day week in Seattle so Jennie could visit her beloved sister.

I was on a plane in Phoenix heading to Colorado when my phone rang and the call ID identified our Marketing Director Tawni Davis.

The door on the plane had just closed and the safety instructions were in the process of being broadcast.

“Dennis?”

“Yes,” I answered.

“Jennie passed away at lunch today,” she said.

“What did you say?” I replied in disbelief. “Yes, I hadn’t heard from her since lunch and we called and sent text messages all afternoon. Her husband just called and told us.”

Tawni went on as we taxied down the runway.

I told her I would call her as soon as we landed. The flight was only an hour but it felt like forever. Staring straight ahead the whole trip I just couldn’t wrap my head around what happened or the conversation I’d just had.

There is no playbook or policy manual that can help us through our grief as a team. Each of us has handled this tragedy in our own way.

Jake Smith, a marketing consultant for us, worked with Jennie at Home Depot and, through him, we met her. They were very close. They enjoyed teasing each other. They are the best of friends and my heart is breaking for Jake and his wife, Allie. It also breaks for Jennie’s family.

Jennie is an organ donor and has been at Mat-Su Regional Hospital on life support until her organs can be harvested. Many of her co-workers have gone to say their goodbyes and visit with her family.

What’s been relayed to me is her family has been warm and inviting. Her family and work family have been able to share memories, tears and laughter.

“They are very much like her,” Nancy Downs, our business manager, told me.

Others have expressed that the healing process has begun and how appreciative they are that Jennie’s family has allowed them the opportunity to say goodbye.

“The sunshine in our department has been taken away,” Tawni expressed. “I don’t know how or if ever we will get it back. I will miss her so much.”

Doris Armstrong from our mail

room stated if only there was a way her beautiful personality could be transplanted into someone.

It will be that smile and personality we will all miss the most. It really did fill the building.

We are hurting. To hear about so many of our team members willing to put Jennie and her family before themselves and provide a brief moment of comfort to them brings comfort to me.

I will never understand how someone as young and full of life as Jennie has to leave us so early.

Please don’t tell me it is God’s will. I don’t believe he would be that cruel.

I will celebrate “Cinco De Jennie” with a glass of Kombucha tea and a bowl of Pho — two of Jennie’s favorites.

Dennis Anderson is a group publisher for Wick Alaska, Colorado.