Cami Jo Bunnell Oborn 5/2/1977 ~ 6/27/2011
Everyone's favorite, Cami Jo Bunnell Oborn, 34, passed away in a tragic rafting accident on June 27, 2011. Cami was born May 2, 1977 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Mike and Toni Bunnell. Raised in a close knit, loving family who shared their lives and time together from childhood until the present day. Cami graduated from Brighton High School in 1995 surrounded by a group of incredible girls who remain her closest BFFs to this day. She met Thom just before her senior year and has loved him as her best friend, sweetheart and adoring husband ever since. Along with their two darling boys they have established a family unit to be admired and emulated. A dedicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Cami has served in many capacities, blessing countless people with her steadfast testimony and faith in Jesus Christ. She especially loved serving in the Young Women's organization and cherished the strength and quality of the young women she dearly loved. Cami was naturally drawn to the medical field by her innate sense of serving others and her nurturing spirit. She graduated from Certified Careers Institute as a Medical Assistant in 2005 where she later returned to work as an instructor. Cami was currently working at the Utah Heart Clinic and After Hours Medical where she diligently rendered care to her patients who were blessed not only with her knowledge and exceptional skills but her true compassion as well. Cami loved the outdoors, appreciated nature and God's creations with a reverence that will never be forgotten. Her happiest times were those spent at Scofield and Green Valley Ranch surrounded by those she loved, revered and appreciated most, her family. Cami's legacy will live on through her precious boys. Her beautiful smile, contagious laugh and pure unconditional love for all will be reflected in their eyes and through their spirits as they always remember their mom who loved and adored them. Cami is survived by her husband, Thom Oborn, and two sons, Ashton and Duston. Parents: Mike and Toni Bunnell; sisters: Cindy (Scott) Warner, Chris (Jason) Halling; brother: Zach Bunnell; grandparents: Louis and Jo Bunnell; loving in-laws: Clark and Carolyn Oborn and Family, nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Preceded in death by Grandpa Leslie, Grandma Mary and Grandpa and Grandma Gregerson. A viewing will be held at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, 3401 South Highland Drive on Friday, July 1, 2011 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be Saturday, July 2, 2011, 11:00 a.m. at the Brookwood Ward, 11970 South 1900 West in Riverton where family and friends may visit from 9:00-10:45 a.m. A graveside service will follow at Mountain View Memorial Estates, 3115 East 7800 South. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made on Ashton's and Duston's behalf at any Key Bank branch. The family would like to express sincere gratitude for family members, friends and rescue workers who risked their lives on Cami's behalf. "Cam Jo, we love you, we miss you and Babe you're our Firework!"
I still can't believe that any of this is real. I became friends with Cami when I was 15 years old. She was in my neighborhood/ward when I moved to Utah. There were 5 of us(Jamie, Jessica, Cami, Lindsay, and Me) that became fast friends and stayed BFF's from 9th grade on. Of course many other friends joined our group along the way, but we were a really close group of friends. It didn't matter that some of us would have boyfriends, some of us got married young and started having kids....we were always BFF's and would get together several times throughout the year to spend time together.
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| Me and Cami at EFY 1992 |
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| Me and Cami Skiing (maybe sometimes we skipped school on Wednesdays and went to Brighton 4-for-1 skiing....shhhh, don't tell our parents!) |
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| Jamie, Jessica, Cami, Me Seminary Graduation 1995 |
Cami and I worked at Payless Drug together in High School. If it weren't for Cami I probably wouldn't be married to Jason because in true Cami fashion, she FORCED him to ask me out (Jason also worked there, he was the "tree lot boy" during Christmas time). We had good times stocking shelves together and singing "....that's what friends are for...." in our ugly gray smocks.
Later, Cami, Jessica, JoRae and I worked at CrossLand Mortgage. We had a lot of good times there too. How lucky for BFF's to work at the same place. We got to see each other all day 5 days a week. We got to go to lunch together everyday. It was while we worked at CrossLand that Cami and I both got married. Cami was the first of us to have a baby....sweet Ashton. We all loved and adored him. We couldn't wait to get together and see him, hold him, and gush over him.
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| Cami and I at CrossLand |
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| JoRae, Jessica, Cami, Ashton, Jamie |
Of course Cami was one of my Bridesmaids when I got married....
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| Me and Cami |
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| My Wedding 1997 Jamie, Me, Jessica, Lindsay Cami |
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| You can't really tell from this picture, but Cami tackled everyone to catch my bouquet. She just so happened to be the next one of us to get married.... |
Many people have commented about this and it's true...Cami had the BEST memory. She would bring up stories that happened 15 years ago and know the small minute details about how things happened. We had so many laughs about the "good old days" and the dumb things we did as teenagers.
Cami had the most infectious laugh and a real zest for life. She was always up for anything whether it be performing in a flash mob or dancing around on a strangers front porch with a nylon on her head....she was always laughing and having a good time. I always wished that Cami would be surprised by Oprah or Ellen with something like a new car. She would have been hilarious. She would have been one of those people that make you laugh even though you don't know her. I can't even tell you how much I miss her laugh.
You can't see really well here because it was dark outside, but the camera was on Cami most of the time. You can hear her laughing and having a good time! She told me after she did this flash mob that it was one of the funnest things she's ever done.
One quality that I really admired about her is that she never gossiped. She never joined in the conversation if people were talking unkindly about others. She never spoke badly about her husband, kids, or other family members when other people were. She was a very loyal wife/daughter/sister/friend/cousin/aunt!
Her funeral was one of the hardest days I've ever had to endure. Singing at her funeral was next to impossible, especially singing "Friends Are Friends Forever".
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Saying our final goodbye Jessica, Lindsay, JoRae, Me, Jamie |
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JoRae, Jessica, Jamie, Lindsay, Me |
At the graveside Thom played one of Cami's newly discovered favorite artists/songs "In Case I Go Again" by Mikey Wax. It was such a touching moment.
I'm grateful that I know I will see her again. I am also grateful for the best friends and family to help me get through this. I feel at peace that it was her time to go and that it was part of God's plan for her. Cami Jo, you will be missed more that you can imagine. I love you!
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