Ms Jamie-Lea Latimer

Jamie-Lea was born to Charlie and Donna on December 9, 1984 at 3:48 pm. She was 7lbs. 14oz and 20" long. She had thick black hair and dark skin. She was a good baby, one that you could take any where or do anything with and she loved to eat.

Jamie-Lea was joined by a sister, Corey-Anne, three weeks before Jamie's second birthday. She loved being the big sister and having someone to play with all the time.

Jamie-Lea moved to Edmonton in 1988 when she was four years old. She started Kindergarten that year at Tipaskin Elementary and loved every minute of it. She painted us a heart picture everyday that year. We're sure that is where her artistic talent started.

Jamie-Lea moved to Hillview Elementary in 1990, where she excelled. There she met her mentor, Mrs. Kates, in grade five. Mrs. Kates is one of the biggest reasons for Jamie-Lea's love of children and teaching. Thank you Mrs. Kates; you do make a difference in our children's lives!

Jamie-Lea left Hillview and went to Ottewell Junior High for grades 7, 8, and 9. In Ottewell, Jamie excelled in music and friendship. Jamie met her friends for life here and is very lucky to have had them right to the end. She went on a trip to Seattle for band, ski trips, band camps and loved every minute of it.

From Ottewell she went to J. Percy Page for one year but found all her friends where at W. P. Wagner High School, so she begged and pleaded to transfer for grades 11 and 12; of course we gave in. Jamie-Lea loved Wagner and did well, in fact, honors all the way through. Her art work was fantastic and today hangs proudly in our home. Upon graduation, she received the Rutherford Scholarship for grades 10th, 11th, and 12th; that was awesome!

All through school, starting at the age of fifteen, Jamie worked at Let's Play. She loved it. We hear she was a great party coach. She was employed with them right up until her passing. Thank you Tim and Lenny for being the best boss's ever.

Jamie-Lea did take two summers off to work for the City of Edmonton Recreation Program as a Green Shack Leader. She absolutely loved those kids so much and looked forward to seeing them everyday.

Jamie went to Center High School for one year after graduation to upgrade a few marks and to decide what to be. That is when she decided she wanted to be an elementary teacher. She applied to Grant McEwan and that year she started her teaching program. She did two years at Grant McEwen and then transferred to the U of A.

On July 28, 2006 after Jamie-Lea completed her third year of education she was diagnosed with cancer called Ewing Sarcoma. Her treatment was one year of chemotherapy and surgery. She had decided to put school on hold and fight her cancer full force. During this time she concentrated on her new puppy, Kimo, and the love of her life Porkchop, her cat. Just before the end of her year long treatment, Jamie's cancer reoccurred. She then added a six week radiation treatment to her life, which took her to the end of August. At this point she decided she was going to return to school so in the fall of 2007, Jamie-Lea returned to start her forth year of education, with the help of some great staff at the U of A, while continuing to do chemo treatments at the same time. Thank you everyone at the U of A Education department that made this possible.

Jamie-Lea wrote her last exam on December 19th, 2007 and the next day we had to put her on Oxygen because only one lung was working. On December 24th. We were told that there was no more that could be done for her, treatment wise, so we brought her home, where close family and friends shared time with her until her passing on December 30, 2007.

We know that everyone out there that knew our Jamie-Lea, knew how very special she was and what an exceptional teacher she would have been. One thing that Jamie-Lea never did was say, "why me" or use her illness as an excuse not to do something.

Please remember her as the happy, funny, cute, sparkly, smart, determined, beautiful, vibrant woman that she was and carry those thoughts in your hearts forever.

DAD, MOM, SISTER