Burlington-born man was more than his addiction — he was a traveler, an entrepreneur and a devoted family member
Our beloved Jesse Ben Budnick passed away Saturday, April 25, 2020, after a long, cruel battle with the turmoil of addiction. Though we feared his death for more than a decade, we had hopelessly believed it would never come. Jesse was born in Burlington, Vt., on November 12, 1989. When the winter was just beginning, we received our warmest gift yet. He grew up in Burlington, but his overabundance of life took him much, much farther. In his brief time with us, he lived in Las Vegas, Nev.; Hollywood, Fla.; New Haven, Conn.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Yiwu, China; San Diego, Calif.; and finally, Los Angeles. Jesse attended Burlington High School as a youth and Champlain College as an adult, graduating from the latter in 2017. The former of these two was where Jesse, at a very young age, was first introduced to the pharmaceutical drug OxyContin, beginning a tiresome war that he, heartbreakingly, would never see the end of. Jesse was wildly expressive and creative. He was hilarious beyond words and had an ability to not only amuse any passerby but authentically befriend them, as well. He had a smile that could brighten the night, and by just existing he painted the world colorful for anyone lucky enough to have met him. When Jesse wanted to see you laugh, you would until your belly ached. Knowing Jesse was constantly rewarding. He was always on the lookout for ways to protect and help those closest to him, whether it was providing whatever assistance he could to tackle some obstacle for you, or just a simple kind gesture. At 18, Jesse began managing his father’s business, Strawberry Fields, and continued to do so for nearly nine years. The nature of the business allowed Jesse to travel. He saw most of the country, coordinating and managing concessions at major events nationally. It was here that Jesse’s entrepreneurial spirit was groomed, and in 2016, alongside his partner, Lori Luo, he created a rapidly successful festival fashion company named the Lumi Shop. Jesse was a fiercely driven man in everything he aspired to, from completing his college degree while also employed full time, to his intense work ethic and endless business pursuits, to his relationships with his loved ones. Everything Jesse did was with the utmost diligence and grace. Yet this never seemed enough to him. When Jesse was doing his best and being his…
Burlington-born man was more than his addiction — he was a traveler, an entrepreneur and a devoted family member
Our beloved Jesse Ben Budnick passed away Saturday, April 25, 2020, after a long, cruel battle with the turmoil of addiction. Though we feared his death for more than a decade, we had hopelessly believed it would never come. Jesse was born in Burlington, Vt., on November 12, 1989. When the winter was just beginning, we received our warmest gift yet. He grew up in Burlington, but his overabundance of life took him much, much farther. In his brief time with us, he lived in Las Vegas, Nev.; Hollywood, Fla.; New Haven, Conn.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Yiwu, China; San Diego, Calif.; and finally, Los Angeles. Jesse attended Burlington High School as a youth and Champlain College as an adult, graduating from the latter in 2017. The former of these two was where Jesse, at a very young age, was first introduced to the pharmaceutical drug OxyContin, beginning a tiresome war that he, heartbreakingly, would never see the end of. Jesse was wildly expressive and creative. He was hilarious beyond words and had an ability to not only amuse any passerby but authentically befriend them, as well. He had a smile that could brighten the night, and by just existing he painted the world colorful for anyone lucky enough to have met him. When Jesse wanted to see you laugh, you would until your belly ached. Knowing Jesse was constantly rewarding. He was always on the lookout for ways to protect and help those closest to him, whether it was providing whatever assistance he could to tackle some obstacle for you, or just a simple kind gesture. At 18, Jesse began managing his father’s business, Strawberry Fields, and continued to do so for nearly nine years. The nature of the business allowed Jesse to travel. He saw most of the country, coordinating and managing concessions at major events nationally. It was here that Jesse’s entrepreneurial spirit was groomed, and in 2016, alongside his partner, Lori Luo, he created a rapidly successful festival fashion company named the Lumi Shop. Jesse was a fiercely driven man in everything he aspired to, from completing his college degree while also employed full time, to his intense work ethic and endless business pursuits, to his relationships with his loved ones. Everything Jesse did was with the utmost diligence and grace. Yet this never seemed enough to him. When Jesse was doing his best and being his…