Even though somewhat expected, it didn’t make the news any less shocking or cruel: Jaime died on Tuesday in Los Banos, California, surrounded by her family and friends after battling cancer for two years. Jaime (some spell it Jamie) was very well-known in Los Banos and San Francisco, as well as in general among NABO youth. She was a dancer as well as being very active, participatory, committed, and an Udaleku participant, first as a camper and then later as an aide. She was a very nice girl of affable character, euskaltzale, hard worker and contributor who enjoyed many good friends in many Basque clubs.
The news of her death hits where it hurts the most. She was only 19 years old; and would have been 20 on January 27. She had all her life ahead of her. It has been, and is very difficult for her family and friends. However, this has led to the flourishing of the best part of Udaleku, the Diaspora and being Basque: friendship, solidarity, sharing moments, smiles and tears, while feeling part of a big family that is the Diaspora, and its Basque communities, friends from Basque dance, Udaleku or picnics.
That is how we met Jaime, as a child coming to Udaleku and who grew up sharing with many of the youth who will attend her funeral on Monday at noon. The family has asked that her friends come in Basque dress, and that dancers come in their costumes. And so that is what they will do coming from Utah, Idaho, Nevada and other places in California as well as others who have already confirmed their attendance, some of them traveling thousands of kilometers to say good bye to their friend and dance the last dance with her, as at Udaleku.
For those of us who can’t be there in person, we will join in from Euskadi, and other places in the world, in spirit dressed in the colors of the dantzari, in this “azken agurren garaia” (final farewell) that we share beside the fire, arm in arm, at Udalekus in the US, Uruguay, or Argentina to say good bye to our friends, but only until the next Udaleku in which Jaime’s voice will join in again with other members of the Basque family, “maitasunez besarkatuz, agur, agur, agur” (With a loving hug, agur, agur, agur).
Ez adiorik, Jaime. A heartfelt hug to her family and friends.
-Jaime’s obituary, here
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