Jasmine Rich

Jasmine Blanche Freed Rich, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and sister was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 17, 1937 to David Lester and Blanche Everett Freed. She was the eldest of their three exceptional daughters: Jasmine, Josephine and Jane. Jasmine spent her childhood playing tennis and, during the summer months, enjoying the outdoors with her family at their cabin on the Weber River. She graduated from East High School in 1955 and was president of Pep Club her senior year. At the University of Utah she was president of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, chosen as White Rose of Sigma Nu, active on student government committees and graduated with Honors and a B.A. (French) in Political Science in 1959.

Greatly influenced by her tennis icon, U.S. Davis Cup Captain father, David, and Utah Symphony devotee mother, Blanche, she happily worked at the Freed family-owned Terrace Ballroom and Lagoon Amusement Park throughout her high school and college years. Among other duties, she loved picking up at the airport and transporting around the city the well-known musical artists who regularly appeared professionally at those entertainment venues.

A faithful member of the LDS Church, on September 1, 1960, she married J. Charles Rich in the Salt Lake Temple. During the next eleven years of his medical education and residencies, completed in Baltimore, MD and Boston, MA, she gave birth to Joseph, Charles, Stephen and Christopher. After returning to Salt Lake City in 1971, still intent on having a girl, she gave birth to Michael. Her life revolved around her five sons. They could not have received more loving care and attention. They were an unusually active group growing up and their logistical demands alone were demanding - she met them all.

Residing back in Salt Lake in the 1970s, Jasmine became active in community service, co-chairing fundraisers for Ballet West and the Utah Symphony. She enjoyed making and selling tennis dresses, stringing racquets and, with her youngest, found herself in the role of archetypal tennis-Mom as she followed Michael for several years around the country to junior tournaments. Later, keeping up with her sons' expanding families, she did what she always did best - being thoughtfully attentive to each of their various and changing needs. She found inventive ways to be with her gradually accumulated seventeen grandchildren. They, in turn, wanted to be with their Grandma Jas. Ever cheerful and willingly supportive of a busy husband, she also traveled every year to multiple medical meetings as well as to both the 1998 Nagano, Japan and 2000 Sydney, Australia Olympic Games. On these numerous trips she could hardly wait to get back home to be with her kids. A warm-weather girl, she found a condo in Rancho Mirage, CA. She loved the place and the people there - and, most of all, having her family come and stay during the winter months.

Unusually capable, it seemed incongruous that Jasmine, of all people, would become symptomatic and then be diagnosed with a progressive dementia - and, within a year, metastatic cancer as well. We have appreciated the excellent care rendered by Millcreek Home Health, the able group of Deb Wadley home caregivers and eventually the Silverado Care Center and their hospice team. Mark Rich Lewis, M.D. and Stephen Fehlauer, M.D. were invaluable. We are also grateful for the expressions of affection and support from her many relatives and friends. These heartfelt sentiments she readily comprehended and responded to them right to the end. Her example and influence on all of us is indelible and lasting.

She is survived by her husband, J. Charles Rich; her sister, Jane (Richard Hinckley); sons: Joe (Stacey), Charles (Tiffany), Stephen (Jill), Christopher (Mindi), Michael (Megan) and seventeen wonderful grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her sister, Josephine (Mark Rose). In addition to her attentive sons and their wives, the assistance of family members Jane Hinckley, Stephanie Rich Williams and Robert (Mary) Rich has been particularly helpful.