Jessica Sayles Doolittle

Jessica Sayles Doolittle of Trumansburg passed away on Sunday, July 31, 2022, at the age of 43, after a valiant fight with cancer.  She was surrounded by loving family. 

Jess was born in Ithaca on April 9, 1979, the daughter of Donald Sayles and Nancy (Hogan) Rice. She will be remembered for many things: as a friend, she cherished close ties with friends from elementary school through college through her professional career, and with fellow young families in her hometown of Trumansburg, NY.  As a business woman, she had a successful career in technology as an executive at Google and as a project leader at Cornell. As an athlete, she captained her Spencer-Van Etten High School volleyball team to the NY State Championship finals and was a star pitcher on the softball team, and she took up rugby at Cornell and despite no experience became a starter and key contributor. And as a dedicated wife and mother, her greatest accomplishments were her two sons, whom she left with a legacy of facing challenging circumstances with strength, dignity, poise and humor. 

Jessica is survived by her husband, Chad; two sons, Caden and Colt; mother, Nancy Rice; brother, Kevin Sayles; maternal grandmother, Joanne Hogan; step-father Peter Rice; mother- and father-in-law, Cynthia and Bucky Doolittle, and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and extended family. She was preceded in death by her father, Donald. 

The family will receive friends from 2:00 to 4:00pm on Friday, August 5, 2022 at Ness-Sibley Funeral Home, 23 South Street, Trumansburg. A Memorial Service will immediately follow at 4:00pm at the funeral home. 

In lieu of flowers the family asks those that would like to make a donation in Jess’ memory to consider the Dana Farber Breast Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215, or Hospicare of Tompkins County, 172 E. King Road, Ithaca, NY 14850.

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