In Loving Memory of
Jiayun Xu
of Camas, WA
10/30/1987 – 08/02/2025
Jiayun, a mother to two girls, a daughter, a granddaughter, a friend, a colleague, a classmate, spouse, the rock and anchor of our family, passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 2, 2025 at 8:24 AM. She is survived by her husband, her two daughters, both her parents, father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law.
Following a short 29-day battle with Stage 4 Colon Cancer, she passed away at the age of 37. She was born in Wuxi, China, and ended up as an assistant professor at OHSU, advancing end-of-life and palliative care research. She lived so much in her life, always present, in the moment.
“I’m thankful for the life that we’ve had together. Everything was amazing. I wouldn’t change it.”
“You’ll live life, and not wait. I know it’s going to be hard at the beginning, but just live life to the fullest, and think about me in good memories.”
This beautiful picture sums up so much about Jiayun. Funny, SMART, and so full of life. She was an amazing palliative care researcher, friend, and colleague. She will be greatly missed. My condolences to your family.
Dear Jiayun’s family.
I am so sorry for your loss. I am one of Jiayun’s many friends in hospice and palliative care. Jiayun was outgoing, funny, and kind, and she always went out of her way to help others. We were together in Seattle last fall. When I told her that I had recently moved to a new university, she immediately found someone she knew at the university and connected me with that person. When she found out that I was eating dinner alone that night, she arranged a dinner for me and another friend who happened to be at the conference, even though she could not stay and join us. She said she wanted to join the dinner, but she was hurrying back home as soon as possible because she missed her daughters while she was away. She showed me their pictures, and we talked about how we cook dinner for our families after a busy day of work.
She was a kind friend and a wonderful researcher whom we respected very much. I miss her greatly.
Masako
Jiayun was a badass. She was brave, kind, and so smart. She was the kind of person you’d trust in an emergency and also the kind of person you want to sit by in a boring class because she’d make you laugh. She will be so missed.
I had the absolute honor of working under Jiayun as a student researcher for her work in Parkinson’s. She brought fun and humor to all the work she did and inspired me to pursue a career within Parkinson’s research and palliative care. She left a lasting impact on my life and is a stellar example of intelligence, passion, and dedication. Sending my love and condolences to her family. She was truly the best.