Jessica Michelle Utech

Jessica Michelle Utech passed away on December 24, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida.  She was born on September 3, 1978 to James and Debra Utech in Jacksonville, Florida.  Jessica graduated from Englewood High School in 1997 and then attended Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Jessica was a hard worker and always a team-player whom employers appreciated for her natural talent in working well with others. Because of her instinctive ability to work well with people she worked in positions of customer service throughout her life. While still in high school, she worked at Procter Ace Hardware as a head cashier.  Afterward, she was employed as a Human Resources Assistant for Medtronic/Xomed. She was also employed as a Delivery Driver/Catering Manager for Jason's Deli of Jacksonville. Jessica then worked in Customer Service Positions and/or Billing Consultants for: America Online, Frontier Airlines and ADT Security. Jesscia then decided to pursue her passion for helping children and accepted a job as a Screening Specialist at Episcopal Children's Services. Here she focused on monitoring and developing relationships, while screening children, many whom were economically disadvantaged, desperately requiring additional assistance and whom easily identified as children with special needs.  After moving to Yulee, Florida, she was employed by the Nassau County Public School System. There she was employed as a GED Paraprofessional/Tutor, developing individual learning plans, and helped double the number of graduates attempting to better their lives through education with the earning of a High School Diploma. She transferred to a different position as an Elementary grade level, Special Education Paraprofessional, where she helped to teach reading and comprehension skills while caring for children with special needs. After moving back to Jacksonville, FL, she enjoyed working as a Temporary Receptionist/Customer Service Representative, (Florida Times Union Media) greeting and announcing customers and visitors (including local and state celebrities, which included political representatives - among them, Florida's Republican candidate for Governor, at the time, Ron DeSantis). While there, she was recognized for initiating a proactive concierge approach to helping escalating customers. As large newspapers continued to change with declining revenue, she was released to pursue other endeavors. Her final place of employment was working as a clerical professional for Spherion Staffing Services - Jacksonville, FL.

Jessica will be remembered first and foremost for her love of her family and friends, her cats, as well as nature. She had the biggest of hearts, and a life-earned reputation for giving so much of herself to others. A beautiful, precious spirit, she lived life focused on making other people happy, while never expecting anything for herself in return. She once said, “Being an Auntie has been the best privilege, biggest source of happiness and most defining role of my life.”  As a child, Jessica enjoyed many fall family road trips to the Great Smoky Mountains and Cherokee, North Carolina and considered them an important part of her childhood. As an adult, Florida's endangered "Chubby Mermaids" (Manatees) and Roseate Spoonbills were extreme passions of hers, as were the rest of the state's birds and wildlife - especially its marine life.  She considered manatees her spirit animal, and often referred to them as such. Being surrounded by nature was something she valued greatly, and it set her heart on fire. While living in Yulee, she would frequent Egans Creek and Fernandina Beach watching and photographing the birds and marine life that were ever present. It was at Egans Creek that she saw and was able to photograph her first Roseate Spoonbill Ibis (Rosie) in the wild. She also loved being in the water and swimming. One of her favorite summer trips was tubing down the crystal-clear Rainbow River or Ichetucknee Springs with family. Jessica was constantly worried how the problems of both man-made pollution and shrinking habitat was affecting the indigenous wildlife. Since Florida's wildlife was very near to her heart, she used the state's nature photography in her media posts and the wonderful homemade crafts and cards she enjoyed creating.  Containing heartwarming expressions of her love, her family and close friends could expect to receive one of her beautiful creations on many special occasions.  Books were also something she loved, with her favorite authors being Robyn Carr and Janet Evanonvich.  She could talk about their books for hours, and enjoyed attending a book signing with some of her family.

Jessica was preceded in death by both sets of Grandparents. Maternal Grandparents: John Paul Jones (1988) and Juanita (Griffis) Jones (2005) and Paternal Grandparents: James Edward Utech (2005) and Geraldine Janice (Gompper) Utech (2022)

Jessica is survived by her Parents: James Harvey Utech and Debra Lynn (Jones) Utech; Brother Jeffrey Alan Utech; Uncles: Kevin Dale Utech, Robert Alan Utech; Aunts: Cindy Lea Utech (Shepherd), Karen Sue Utech (Parrott) as well as quite a large number of loving Cousins, Nephews, and Nieces.

As our Heavenly Angel, may you rest in peace, watch over us, protect us and provide us with the strength to carry on.