Jessica Fashano

suicide stuns friends and family

New York was stunned on Saturday following the news that a popular Citi banker, Jessica Fashano, ended her life by jumping from the roof of an Upper West Side building.

Fashano was an avid philanthropist who used her position as associate at Citi Global Markets to promote humanitarian schemes and charities. She was inspired by The Blue Sweater, a philanthropic memoir that showed how to use entrepreneurialism to combat poverty.

Friends and colleagues have been paying tribute to the generous and likable 27 year old, telling the New York Times that she “had one of the biggest hearts.”

Fashano had a passion for helping others less fortunate than herself which was proven when she raised money for Harboring Hearts Housing, a group who provide affordable housing for cardiac arrest patients. She also helped with The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, specifically the Acumen Fund which provides low rate business loans for people and organisations in third world countries.

Although she left no note, some friends and family pointed out that she had been suffering with depression.

She was found early morning on Saturday in an internal courtyard of Trump Place, some twelve blocks from where she lived. She was captured by surveillance cameras as she entered the building.

She asked a woman, believed to be the person to see her alive, how to get to the roof which affords excellent views of the Hudson River and particularly Morris Planes, New Jersey where she grew up. Michelle Javian, one of Fashano’s closest friends said: “Jessica was an amazing person with such a big heart - a beautiful girl, with a contagious laugh and a willingness to give back.”

She will always be remembered for her warmth, kindness, infectious smile, strong leadership and her big laugh. A former colleague told the New York Times: “If there was a room of 30 or 40 people, you would definitely know if she was there or not. I don’t want to say louder, but she had a very unique laugh.” Please share your thoughts on Jessica Fashano’s passing by leaving a comment.