On September 22, Jared McCown went to a beautiful place in nature, a landscape he loved, and ended his life. He left a letter sharing the deep pain he had been shouldering for many years. His closest family and friends knew of some struggles, but could never have imagined the full extent of his suffering. We grieve the immeasurable loss of Jared. We wish we had the opportunity to help ease his hidden pain.

Jared deeply loved his wife, Brenna, and their children, William and Kennedy. In a second letter left at home, he highlighted the unique joys each of them brought to his life. His loss is felt profoundly by everyone who knew and loved him.

Brenna now faces the unimaginable task of helping their two young children, ages 6 and 8, navigate their grief and begin to build a path forward. There will be many emotional and financial challenges in the months ahead. This fundraiser has been created to help ease some of that burden — loss of income, legal and estate-related expenses, counseling for Brenna and the children, and support for home maintenance tasks that Jared used to manage, so Brenna can focus on the children.

In addition to collecting contributions through GoFundMe, we will use this platform to share updates from Brenna and her family. This way, those who loved Jared can stay informed while giving Brenna and the kids the space they need right now. For those of you who have reached out directly to Brenna, know that she reads your messages and is so appreciative of your support, even if she may not have the capacity to return calls or thank you individually at this time. Please accept this message as a collective thank you from her family. There are no memorial services scheduled at this time, but updates will be shared when the family is ready.

If you would like to offer your time, skills or expertise, please fill out this Google Form. A family member will follow up to coordinate support when the time is right. Check back here for family updates, or contribute a small amount anonymously and updates from the family will be emailed to you directly.

For anyone who prefers to make a direct contribution or an ongoing pledge without GoFundMe processing fees, please utilize the Google Form to get in touch with the family. You can specify how you’d like your donation to be used if you like.