In Honor of Jess: A Legacy Living On
June 14, 2023
Jessica McGuinty was a bright light whose spirit will endure for all those that embrace it.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again.
On the evening of June 10 2023, with her loving husband, her father, her amazing doctor and dedicated hospice team by her side, Jessica succumbed to her disease peacefully at her home in Southern California.
For years Jess has been dealing with a number of serious medical maladies. Earlier this year Jess was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, an aggressive collection of inherited disorders that affect connective tissues with a scarcity of treatment options.
We are humbled by the fact that in the time that she was dealing with her diagnosis she was able to witness and be thrilled that her products were becoming available to the Jessicurl Community of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the EU.
Jessicurl’s origins go back “WAAYY further” than when she made her first batch of (what would become) Rockin’ Ringlets on the stove top of her small apartment in 2002. Jess actually became obsessed with her curly hair challenges around age 14 when she realized being told to just “brush it out” was not a viable option. Through research of natural products to make from scratch she found her true “sisterhood” on the website NaturallyCurly.com and achieved her “lightbulb moment” when she posted her personal recipe for a product that actually worked in the website's chat group. Within 24 hours emails flooded in saying “we aren’t going to make this. Can’t we just buy it from you?’, and in 2002 a company was born. Read the origin story here.
Over the last few years Jess had taken more of a supporting role in the company to concentrate on her health and left the success of Jessicurl, and her vision, in the capable hands of her hand picked management team and the bond they have personally forged over years.
She forged Jessicurl as not only a company but a community to celebrate who we are in our naturally curly state instead of loading our beautiful curls with chemicals. All while inspiring us to be kinder to each other in the process. Her revolutionary tactics and positive aura will serve as her legacy to all of us forever reminding us that we do indeed have the right to remain curly.
We will be organizing a celebration of her life to be announced at a future date. To share your thoughts, memories, and condolences please contact rememberingjess@jessicurl.com.
For more information on Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome or to make a contribution in Jess’ name please visit www.ehlers-danlos.com.
Cedar Reuben - President Jessicurl
