Jessica Rachel Mann
August 29, 1977 - August 8, 2025
Jessica Rachel Mann (47), born on August 29, 1977, passed away courageously after a battle with cancer. She is the beloved wife of Sarah Evans Heineman and is remembered for the way she lived her life, not the way she passed.
Jessica loved live music and the outdoors - hitting the slopes, hiking and bike trails, and eating tasty food and toasting a glass of wine with friends at the end of a great day.
She was the kind of person whose idea of a relaxing weekend was scaling terrain with a backpack of PB&J’s and trail mix combined with the perfect playlist.
During the week, Jessica was a committed underwriter in the surety industry where she helped to build three start-up commercial surety businesses. She was passionate about learning, enjoyed working closely with colleagues and traveling to meet with her brokers and clients.
Jessica’s spirit was boundless. She was born in Nairobi, Kenya and grew up around the world in such places as Brazil, Mexico, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After she traveled extensively, she attended University of Vermont (UVM) and obtained her MBA from Thunderbird in Arizona. She also lived in Charlottesville, VA, Houston, TX, and various other cities around the US. Jessica and Sarah created their forever home in Denver, Colorado.
Jessica leaves behind her wife Sarah, brothers David Mann and Sean Sloan, mother Sandi Lucas, step-kids Charlie and Kate Heineman, and a long list of friends. She is proceeded in death by the father who raised her, Stephen Lucas, the father who passed, Jay Mann, and her grandmother Miriam Loren.
Jessica didn’t believe in limitations. She was a role model, a friend, and the kind of person who made you say “yes” to life, even if you were more of a “maybe later” type.
Jessica’s spirit and joie de vivre will continue to inspire her family, colleagues, and friends as they live each day to the fullest, say yes to new experiences, and lean into adventures and love.
In honor of Jessica’s memory and her fight against ovarian cancer, contributions can be made to the MD Anderson Cancer Center to support cancer prevention work: MDAnderson.org/Gifts. An endowed internship fund has also been created in her memory at her alma mater of UVM to support students pursuing careers in public service and with non-profits: https://go.uvm.edu/jessicarachelmann.
Make a Donation
The Jessica Rachel Mann '99 Endowed Internship Fund (University of Vermont Foundation)
