Jessica Marie Kambol-Cary

We are sorry to share that our beautiful princess, Jessica Marie Kambol-Cary, passed away at the age of 30 on April 6, 2025. 

Jessica was born on June 19, 1994 in South Bend, IN to her parents Michael and Tracey Kambol (Berta). She is deeply missed by her parents, as well as her loving husband, Andrew Cary, her brother, Jonny Kambol, her sister, Sam Andersen (Kambol), her brother-in-law, Conner Andersen, her niece, Penelope Andersen, and her “PaPa,” Paul Berta. She is also missed by her loving Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and in-laws. 

In her all-too-short time on this earth, Jess made an outstanding impact on everyone who was lucky enough to know her. She will be most remembered for her kind soul. She was always willing to make friends with strangers at the coffee shop, at the farmer’s market, or anywhere she went. Her soul was pure light and unconditional love. Each person who got to know her felt how genuine her heart was, and a conversation with her could cheer up even the darkest of days. 

Jessica was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at the age of 6, and dealt with medical issues, pain, and discomfort for most of the days of her life. But she didn’t let anything stop her. She was determined to live her dreams and create a beautiful life. She did all of that and more. 

After graduating high school, Jessica achieved her dream of becoming a Princess at Walt Disney World. At the age of 20, she left everything she had known behind and journeyed all by herself to Orlando, FL. Each day, Jess relished the opportunity to create lifelong memories for travelers from all around the world. She especially enjoyed making children feel extra special when they got to meet their favorite princess. And what a lovely princess she was, inside and out. After her time at Disney, she started her own social media marketing business, and helped to grow and market small businesses in Indiana and Georgia. 

On August 21, 2017, she took a flight back to South Bend from Orlando that would change her life. She sat right next to the young man who would one day become her husband. They hit it off right away, and Andrew promised to “show her all the cool spots” around South Bend. Funnily enough, Andrew also met his future mother-in-law immediately as he and Jess stepped off the plane together. After that, Jess and Andrew were inseparable, and started their grand adventure together. They were engaged on her 26th birthday, June 19, 2020, and married on July 30, 2022 in Escondido, CA. In 2020, they took the bold step of moving down to Atlanta, GA, renting an apartment before buying their first home together. They loved to travel and go on “adventures,” including to: Bali, Istanbul, Paris, Lourdes, Kona, New York City, San Diego, Traverse City, and a million different small towns around Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina. Andrew is sad that they can’t make new memories together, but is so grateful that Jess lived every day to the fullest. Together, they joyfully love their dog, a white Shih Tzu Poodle Mix named Willow. 

In her spare time, Jess loved to make and edit videos of all the fun things she did. She would thrift and collect clothes, and enjoyed reading a good book. She was always excited to explore new towns, and try new coffee shops and restaurants. She knew a coffee shop would be good if they had homemade syrups. She cherished spending time with family and friends, and was a great listener who made everyone feel special. 

Jess loved her family fiercely. She was thrilled to see her sister marry a wonderful man and build a beautiful life. She was so proud of her little brother achieving his dream of becoming a zookeeper. She called her parents every single day, and her mom was her number one partner in Jessica’s health journey. 

In January 2024, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She did everything she could to fight, and never gave up. She never complained. She was just too good for this world. Her spirit and soul live on in everyone who was loved by her. 

In this journey, we had so many people who stepped up, supported us, and went the extra mile to take care of Jess. We are so grateful to each and every one of you, whether it be family, friends, or medical staff. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 16, 2025 in Corpus Christi Church.  A visitation will be held from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Tuesday. April 15, 2025 in the Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Drive, where a rosary will be prayed at 3:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Habitat for Humanity of St. Joseph County (https:http://www.hfhsjc.org) or the Potawatomi Zoo (https:http://potawatomizoo.org)

Jessica's funeral will be livestreamed on the Corpus Christi Church Facebook Page.http://www.facebook.com/corpuschristiparishsb/

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jessica Marie Kambol-Cary, please visit our floral store.