Jayne Elizabeth Purvis

March 21, 1955 – April 23, 2026

Jayne’s life is defined by joyful overcoming.

Jayne grew up showing and training horses with her father in St. Hellens Oregon and was recognized in her local community for her ability with animals.  She was crowned a Rodeo Princess at age 18 and continued on to ride with Portland State University’s Equestrian Team.  She played the flute and piano which began a lifelong journey with music.  In college, she quickly fell in love, was briefly married, had her daughter, and then moved back to her parents’ home.  She continued to train and show horses throughout this time.  Eventually, looking for a better life for her daughter, away from a family that loved but that was struggling behind closed doors with their own demons, she moved to Longview Washington. 

Over the next 12 years Jayne was a single parent.  At first, she worked security at the local Mill, and then later as an Activities Coordinator for The Club House in Longview.  The Club House was a community support program for people with severe unseen disabilities.  She helped organize daily activities and outreach events.  She was also a member.  In 1992 she developed schizophrenia.  Due to the debilitating and isolating nature of the disease, she endured periodic hospitalizations and institutionalizations.  She briefly experienced homelessness.  Despite ongoing hardships, she overcame during these early years in Longview and remained joyful.  Without fail, she would have a smile on her face, a cheery greeting and a listening ear.

Jayne was always surrounded by friends who cared deeply for her.  In Longview, she was very competitive with her bowling league “The Clubhouse Gang”.  She was a prolific writer of poetry and journals, attending writing groups and poetry sharing potlucks.  She homeschooled her daughter till her diagnosis no longer allowed.  For the rest of her life, when sharing about her daughter’s success, she would proudly state that she was homeschooled.  She was a member of a spiritual group called Eckankar and found acceptance and belonging at the Longview Chapter; they saw her as a beautiful and creative soul, not as a disabled person. Together they created some of her most cherished memories.

Jayne loved animals. She rescued as many as she could and volunteered with 4-H when able.  She was an animal empath and could easily tell what they were feeling and needing.  Later, while still in Longview, she had a spunky Mini Schnauzer by her side named KC.  Jayne’s Nurse Practitioner, Brent Francisco, was instrumental in ensuring Jayne didn’t permanently fall through the cracks when her disease would flair.  He recognized KC’s importance and ordained her an official service dog so that they could be inseparable as they moved through life.

In 2021 as Jayne’s health declined, her daughter and son-in-law moved her to Bothell.  She loved her new Assisted Living home and never missed an activity.  From dawn to dusk, she would sit in the common areas chatting with other residents.  She helped those around her when an aid wasn’t anywhere to be found and happily played the lobby piano daily.  She taught her Son-in-Law how to play the boardgame Sorry, an old Club House favorite, and much to his chagrin, she usually won. 

Because of her complex medical needs, she became a member of Providence Elder Place.  Her care team quickly grew to love her light-heartedness, enthusiasm, and piano playing during her weekly visits for activities and medical check-ins.  No longer able to care for a pet, she took in “abandoned” plants that thrived in her care.  She created beautiful landscape paintings and bedazzled accessories.  Closer to her daughter now, she loved going out weekly for Thai food dressed head to toe in her favorite pink and purple outfits.  She had a hankering for coconut water, hummus, and gummy bears, so notable its worth adding to an obituary. 

In December 2023 Jayne was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer.  She went through curative surgery but she never regained her strength despite daily exercise.  After moving to an Adult Family Home, she still sought joy and purpose with art despite the inevitable loneliness of no longer living with friends to chat with from dawn to dusk.  She serenaded her caregivers with singing and playing her keyboard at top volume every morning.  Her and her daughter would have dance parties in her room.  She cherished the regular visits with her art teachers Angie and Marguerite and ongoing tea parties with Lexie.  She continued to keep her team at Elder Place on their toes.  They had to create a new rule for Bingo that a person could only win 3 times per day, or else she would gleefully take home all the prizes without remorse. 

After decades of choosing joy in the face of hardship, she succumbed to the dementia caused by schizophrenia and its insidious treatments.  At first fighting to overcome as she always had, but then finding peace.  In her final days she was surrounded by those who loved her and who will be forever inspired by her joyful spirit that overcame so much.