Jena Marie Honeyman

Jena Marie Honeyman, 41, of Portland, Oregon, left this world on August 2, 2025, leaving it forever changed by the love, laughter, and luminous light she shared with those lucky enough to cross her path.

Jena was the embodiment of a true free spirit – vibrant and effervescent, spontaneous and untamed, and deeply connected to the natural world. She experienced life with an open heart, thoughtful mind, and an unshakable belief in the beauty of wildness. To know Jena was to know joy and humanness in their purest forms: barefoot dancing under sunshine skies, boundless laughter, late-night introspections while howling at the moon, a love for music that echoed through her soul, and the peace and healing she found in nature and solitude. When describing herself, she once said: “If you love me… I love you. If you hate me… I love you.” That was Jena – a forever safe space. She was someone who would sit with you in the dark as readily as she would celebrate your shine, and Jena held space for both with acceptance and love.

A gifted helper and adventurer, Jena’s work reflected her passion for people and the outdoors. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from UNC Wilmington and a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Counseling from Lewis & Clark College. She served as a LAD Instructor/Wilderness Guide for the National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education and Panacea Adventures, and was a teacher of health and physical education for Chapel Hill–Carrboro Schools. Her time guiding teens and young adults through the healing power of nature—out in the wilderness and later on an ecotherapy farm in Portland—was among her most meaningful and impactful work.

When she wasn’t leading others on trails or into new discoveries, you could often find Jena adventuring herself—traveling cross-country multiple times and hiking countless trails across the U.S., including the Pacific Crest Trail and sections of the Appalachian Trail. From North Carolina to Oregon and New York to Florida, she cultivated roots in all corners of the country. She was a talented hoop dancer, acro-yogi, and lover of all kinds of music. Whether she was in the woods, at a music festival, or sharing her daily meditations online, Jena’s energy was always magnetic, vivacious, and reflective.

Jena is survived by her loving parents, Jacqueline and Mark Honeyman; brother, Jordan Honeyman; grandmother, Diane Gerela Mann; and an extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews who love her dearly. She also leaves behind her former partner and forever friend, Daniel Prince, who walked alongside her with love, care, and compassion as they shared their lives, a home, and a meaningful partnership for over a decade. Jena is also deeply loved and missed by a wide circle of kindred soul sisters and friends, whose memories with her span many chapters of her life. She is preceded in death by her aunt, Yvonne Gajewski, and her beloved soul dog, Penny.

Jena taught us to love people for all of who they are, to lean into the storm when our hearts call us there, and to find freedom in the wild edges of life. She is our forever feather in the wind—sometimes unpredictable, often dancing to her own unique rhythm, and always following the breeze.

A celebration of Jena’s extraordinary life was held on Saturday, September 6th, at Wrightsville Beach, NC. In the spirit of who she was, friends and loved ones gathered in the way that mattered most to her: to play outside, dance, connect, create, and let the Earth remind us of the light she carried and shared so generously.