Reid Bryant Jessen

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Jessen, Reid Bryant passed away of natural causes on Monday, August 3, 2020 at the age of 30. Reid was born, January 27, 1990, in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota. He attended St. John the Baptist Catholic Elementary School and Burnsville High School. As a child, he played baseball and hockey and enjoyed many academic extracurricular activities, which instilled in him a life-long love of exercising both his body and his mind. Reid continued his studies at the University of Minnesota, where he earned a degree in Biochemistry. He pursued a successful career in forensic toxicology, first at LabCorp and then at Premier Biotech. His work gave him the ability to continue his life-long interest in science, and he loved it. Throughout his life, Reid enjoyed going camping, attending (and dressing up for) the Renaissance Festival, playing board games, hosting foosball tournaments, going to concerts, and watching the Minnesota Twins and Vikings with his family and friends. His sense of humor and comedic timing were unmatched, and he expanded the vocabularies of everyone around him constantly with the silly words and new turns-of-phrase that he loved to invent. He had a wildly creative mind and entirely unique point-of-view, which made it impossible to predict what he might say next. Reid was a devoted son and brother and friend to many. He was an attentive listener, whose constant focus was supporting, protecting, and caring for those around him, as evidenced by the close-knit, life-long friendships he maintained. Like many, Reid loved dogs; but they too seemed mysteriously drawn to him. Perhaps they could sense a kindred spirit, who also found his joy and his calling in caring for people through warmth, compassion, generosity, love, and lots of laughter. His humble charm and incomparable wit made him a natural leader and gifted story-teller, whose greatest pleasure was to bring people together. And he did. Reid was taken far too soon and is deeply missed by his family, including his parents, Ross and Shelli Jessen; his sister, Kelyn Jessen (Adam Kinney); his brother, Adam (Lara) Jessen; his nephew, Miles Jessen; his grandparents, Laurel Jessen, Lucia Gage, and Steve and Carol Bryant; his many aunts, uncles, and cousins; and his dear friends, who throughout his life were his nearly constant companions and truly an extension of his biological family to him. Reid was predeceased by his grandfather, Andrew (Red) Jessen. Due to the pandemic, there will be a private family service. It was important to Reid to help vulnerable members of our society in any way that he could and he regularly donated food and basic essentials. We ask that all memorials be sent as donations in his memory to the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in Midway, St. Paul, the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis, or the food shelf of your choice during this time of need for so many. Washburn-McReavy.com Edina Chapel 952-920-3996

Published on August 9, 2020