Obituary of Jared Hardy Decker

Jared Hardy Decker, beloved husband, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, and friend to many, passed away in Dallas, Texas, on July 27, 2020, at age 47. Jared was born to Alison and Craig Decker on November 2, 1972, in Los Angeles, California and was raised in Southern California and the greater area of Salt Lake City, Utah. Jared was the third oldest in a family that would grow to 15 children. Although he was one of many, Jared’s exceptionally sweet and often equally mischievous nature ensured that he was never lost in the pack. The bonds he shared with his siblings influenced the kind and generous nature he possessed throughout life. From 1992 to 1994, Jared served as a missionary in Bogotá, Colombia and surrounding areas, with a brief stint spent in New York. Jared greatly admired the people and culture of Colombia, and for the rest of his life he fluently spoke Spanish whenever he could. In 2002, Jared graduated from the University of Tampa with a B.S. in Management Information Systems, and in 2006, he received his M.B.A. from the University of Houston. He subsequently built two successful consulting companies specializing in business analytics and was a published author on topics of data science and business intelligence. Most importantly to Jared, he served as a mentor to many in their careers. In March 2008, in Dallas, Texas, Jared met his wife-to-be, Sarah Elizabeth Moore, who he thereafter referred to as “my Sarah.” On November 14, 2009, Jared and Sarah married on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Inseparable from nearly day one, together they travelled the world, raised a menagerie of dearly loved pets, contributed to each other’s successes, and supported each other through life’s ups and downs. Jared was well known for his exceptional talent for music. He was a classically trained guitarist who also had a talent for piano and violin and loved to host music nights with family and friends. He will be remembered by his generous nature and the warm spirit he brought wherever he went and whatever the circumstances. Through his relentless optimism and sheer force of will, Jared fought a remarkable 7-year battle against brain cancer, during which time he furthered advancements in science by participating as the first person to receive new drug therapies in three separate clinical trials at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Whether it was cancer or any other obstacle he faced, Jared did so with a unique grace, and he never backed down from a challenge. Jared is preceded in death by his mother, Alison. He is survived by his wife, Sarah; his father and step-mother, Craig and Margie; his mother-in-law, Katherine Paulson; his 14 siblings, Annie Tran Dinh, David Tran, Amy Tran, Nathan, Alison Russell, Rachel Clifford, Joshua, Jacob, Maren, Hyrum, Elizabeth Caradine, Seth, Laura Peterson, and Clare Thomas; and by many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. Plans for a Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date due to the current limited ability to host gatherings during COVID-19.