Jared Anthony Ashburn

It is with deep sadness that the family of Jared Anthony Ashburn announce his passing at 25 years old in Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia on March 15, 2026. He is survived by his parents, Ken and Claudine Ashburn, and his three sisters, Emily, Meredith, and Karley Ashburn.

Jared was born on November 11, 2000 in Indianapolis, Indiana to Ken and Claudine Ashburn (Fenton) as the second of four children. He grew up in Carmel, Indiana playing many sports, including football, soccer, tae kwon do, cross country, and of course, swimming. He remained an avid swimmer throughout his life and continued swimming when the Ashburns moved to Peachtree City, Georgia at the beginning of 2017. Jared graduated from McIntosh High School in 2019. He then started his undergraduate career at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin where he continued to swim for the school for 3 years. He graduated cum laude in 2023 with a Bachelor’s in Political Science. After taking a gap year, in 2024 Jared started his Master’s degree in International Policy at the University of Georgia. He studied abroad in Cartagena, Colombia during the summer of 2025 and was set to graduate summa cum laude in May of 2026.

Jared lived a life that was full of intensity, joy, movement, and music. He started most mornings in the gym, where he was committed to pushing himself to grow stronger every day. Since he was a child he loved to dance, whether he was dancing with his mom in the living room, behind the blocks at a swim meet, or practicing for hours in his room. He always had music playing—in his earbuds, blaring in the shower, it didn't matter. His favorite music was Spanish reggaeton, which he used to help him learn Spanish. He also had a passion for cooking and enjoyed making foods like plantains for his family and friends. But more than anything, Jared had a passion for learning and understanding the world. He taught himself Spanish in less than two years, driven by a genuine curiosity and desire to immerse himself in various Spanish-speaking cultures.

Jared was deeply interested in politics and international affairs. He spent the past two years working toward a degree that taught him about policies around the world, often bringing his findings to the family dinner table. His curiosity and desire to share what he learned was great enough that his mother bought a map just so he could point out the countries he was talking about. He had a great mind and a unique way of thinking about the future, often making predictions about how the world might change in the years to come.

Jared did not want a predictable life. He hated the idea of sticking to a set routine or staying in one place. He wanted a bigger life, one filled with movement, culture and new experiences. He craved excitement and spontaneity, always looking for more to learn, see, or understand.

Jared died unexpectedly doing what he loved, traveling in South America. His family is eternally grateful to his friends, Jose and Maria, who helped make sure his parents could be with him and helped care for him in his final days.

In lieu of flowers, Jared’s family requests that donations be made to the following organizations:
- Patrulla Aérea Civil Colombiana - an organization that brings extensive lifesaving medical and surgical care to remote and hard-to-reach areas of Colombia via airplane brigades. If you feel comfortable, you can add Jared’s name to the note section on the donation check-out page.
- https://www.patrullaaerea.org/eng/donate

- Haiti Emergency Relief Fund - a grassroots organization of volunteers that has taken on a number of important projects, including enabling access to food and water and rebuilding shelter after disasters, funding the creation of mobile schools in Port-au-Prince, and building irrigation, grain mills, and grain storage so farmers can be more stable and independent.
- https://haitiemergencyrelief.org/support-our-work/

Please join Jared’s family in celebrating his life with a funeral mass on Friday, March 27 at 10:30 AM at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church, 215 Kirkley Rd, Tyrone, GA 30290. Following mass, a burial will be held at Honey Creek Woodlands, across the street from the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA at 12:30 PM. The Ashburns will hold a Celebration of Life with light refreshments on Saturday at their home.