Jason Alan Blakely

A life of adventure, laughter, friendship, and loveJason Alan Blakely, 46, was born in Salem, Oregon, but his adventurous spirit carried him far beyond home. He loved experiencing life - scuba diving, hiking, exploring new places, meeting people, and collecting the kinds of stories that could make everyone around him laugh and shake their heads at the same time.Jason had a remarkable ability to collect people along with adventures. His life took him many places, and along the way he built friendships and relationships that lasted across years and miles. One chapter took him to New York City, where he worked with underserved children. It reflected something fundamental about Jason: beneath the humor, adventure, and crazy stories was a man who cared about people and wanted to be part of their lives.Above all else, Jason loved his family. He shared an especially close bond with his mother, Diann, who was not only his mom but one of his very best friends. He was the beloved son of Diann and the late Larry Nelson, his stepfather, and the only brother of his sister, Jessica Blakely. He was also an uncle who showed up for his nieces and for family milestones, including celebrating one of his nieces on her wedding day.Jessica had the privilege of being Jason's older - and, according to Jason, wiser - sister. Whether the wiser part was actually true is debatable, but Jason said it often enough that she is choosing not to argue with him now. Jason never left Jessica wondering whether he loved her or whether he was proud of her. He told her both, often. Those words are among the greatest gifts he left behind.Jason was a son, a brother, a best friend, a teacher, an adventurer, and a traveler. He dove beneath the sea, climbed trails, explored the world, taught children, made friends, laughed hard, made other people laugh, and loved deeply.His family wishes there had been more time - more adventures, more ridiculous stories, more laughter, more ordinary days, and simply more Jason. Jason was preceded in death by his stepfather, Larry Nelson, who passed away last winter. He is deeply loved and survived by his mother, Diann; his sister, Jessica; his nieces; and the many family members and friends whose lives became part of his own.When you remember Jason, remember his smile. Tell one of his crazy stories. Laugh about an adventure. Remember something kind he did. And tell the people you love that you love them. Jason always did.