Jaden Lee Ramsey

Jaden Lee Ramsey entered this world on February 17, 2002 in Laramie, Wyoming and quickly developed into a kind, goofy, compassionate wild child. He always marched to the beat of his own drum, less concerned with what others thought of him and more about how he could make others laugh and be happy. He was forever on the go with boundless energy, volume on high, ready to go hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, snowboarding, drift car racing, or otherwise driving at speeds that made his parents cringe.

Jaden had a zest for learning, but in his own unique, hands-on way. During junior high, he moved from Cheyenne, WY to Phoenix, AZ for three years where he was elected the Chief Science Officer for his school. He was so proud to be an ambassador for STEM learning where his unabashed passion for all things cars took hold. By his eighth grade year, he had been interviewed by Consumer Reports after entering a design competition with an idea for a high-performance super car that ran on green energy, which caught the attention of engineering faculty at MIT. At the time of his death, he was making plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering and create his own car company.

While living in Phoenix, Jaden was also part of the Air Force Explorers, the only unit of its kind in the country, where his innate desire to serve combined with his energetic spirit solidified his plans to join the Air Force and become a fighter pilot. Although his cancer diagnosis derailed his plans, the USAF 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron in Mountain Home, ID heard about Jaden and inducted him in as an honorary member of their squadron. His callsign, “Jester” was emblazoned on an F-15 fighter jet that flew on a mission overseas. Jaden called it “a dream come true!”

After returning to Cheyenne, Wyoming with his family, Jaden attended East High School where he was involved in Air Force JROTC, football, and wrestling and, ever the movie buff, worked at Capitol 12 Cinema. He had just completed his senior season of wrestling when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) on April 2, 2020. Despite his diagnosis and the COVID-19 pandemic, Jaden proudly walked across the stage to receive his high school diploma in June 2020. He faced countless nights in the hospital receiving chemotherapy and recovering from multiple surgeries, yet his humor and passion for life never wavered. He thrived on regaling his nurses and doctors with his stories and wit and loved to set up scenarios with his step-dad to prank unsuspecting nurses.

From the moment he was diagnosed, Jaden was passionate about raising awareness and finding a cure for childhood cancer. Although he laid down his sword in his fight against this disease on April 18, 2021, his dying wish was to donate his body to research so that, as he said many times, “no other kid and no other family has to go through this.” In addition, he was a registered organ and tissue donor, and he donated his corneas to help two individuals overcome corneal blindness.

Jaden is survived by his mom, Meri Geringer, step-dad Dave Bailey, brother Alex Ramsey, and sister Malin Bailey, all of Cheyenne, WY; his dad KC Ramsey, step-mom Amanda Ramsey, step-brothers Lucas “LJ” Medina and Josiah Medina, all of Cheyenne; his grandparents, Gov. Jim and Sherri Geringer of Cheyenne, WY, Ivan “Essie” Ramsey of Wheatland, WY, Andy Bailey of Guyton, GA, Charlotte Roland of Moultrie, GA, and Bert and Missy Herrera of Rawlins, WY; aunts and uncles Jenn Geringer of Laramie, WY, Valerie and Chad Seidel of Cheyenne, WY, Rob and Crystal Geringer of Cheyenne, WY, Beckie and Dane Stokes of Snoqualmie, WA, Kevin Ramsey of Wheatland, WY, Joshua and Theresa Herrera, and Keona Herrera of Rawlins, WY; and many cousins, great-aunts and uncles, and friends from across the country.

Jaden was preceded in death by his grandmother, Mary Barnes Ramsey of Wheatland, WY

A Celebration of Life for Jaden will be Monday, April 26th at 2:00 pm at Element Church in Cheyenne, WY. Ascension Lutheran Church will be providing a reception afterward, which will also be held at Element. For those unable to attend, the service will be live-streamed on the Jaden’s Cookies for a Cause Facebook page and YouTube http://elementchurch.life/jaden . Please wear your #jadenstrong t-shirts, Cheyenne East, Denver Broncos, or University of Wyoming gear, or anything that has to do with US military, Star Wars, Marvel, cars, or Harleys.

In lieu of flowers, the family is respectfully asking for donations to the Jaden Ramsey Memorial Fund at Wyoming Bank and Trust, which will later be donated by the family to organizations involved in pediatric cancer research and that help families of pediatric cancer warriors.

#jadenstrong