Jessica "Daisy" Maylender

Jessica ‘Daisy’ Maylender left this life to join Gaia, the earth mother and finally find peace on September 26, 2020. Daisy was a person with much talent and potential; so smart and beautiful whose life was hijacked by alcohol, drugs and mental illness. She was never able to become the person she might have been. She died of throat cancer after first having a stroke at the end of February. It was a short but brutal battle.

But for all that she managed to amass a group of faithful friends and to help care for several elderly veterans over the years. She was fiercely loyal to family and protective of her little brother Casey. But her most special relationship was with her grandmother. Grammy was always there for her in ways the rest of the family was not, and she never gave up hope that things would change for her granddaughter.

Known as Jessie to her family and Daisy to her friends she was a free spirit who loved being out in nature, collecting interesting rocks, bones and wood and then making wonderful and sometimes disturbing art with them. And she could draw anything, much to the envy of her mother. She enjoyed fishing and would do it for hours whether she caught anything or not. She also enjoyed music, particularly Country/Western and horror movies.

When she was young, she was quite an accomplished equestrian and competed in dressage with her horse Kataro. Jessie was always drawn to animals. Especially the more unique kinds: tarantulas, scorpions and snakes and at one time a rather large iguana that had the run of the house and was litterbox trained! Her constant companion for many years until his death was a boa named Bane.

She had a sense of fair play and did not forgive easily. Being stubborn to the point of obstinacy often caused conflict with friends and family and made life more difficult for her. But she was strong and had a powerful personality that drew people back to her.

Daisy loved her little house and in the last few years seldom left it, even though she dreamed of travel.

She will be missed by all who knew her. But we are comforted in the hope that her spirit floats free and her next life will be amazing.

She was proceeded in death by her father Kurt Maylender and her grandmother Betsy Harkins, She is survived by her brother Casey Gwinn, her mother Becky Gwinn and two special longtime friends who volunteered to take care of her until the end of her life. Her boyfriend Tom Peltier and her best friend John Nestor. The family owes them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. And to Hospice that helped ease her way out of this life.

Daisy did not wish for any kind of service or ceremony. Please go out in the beautiful world and mourn in your own way. Memorial contributions can be made to the charity of the donor’s choice through the Professional Funeral Directors and Crematory 315 W Alder St.  Walla Walla, WA 99362.