Jessie Marie Briggs
With deep regret we must let the world know that we have lost our beautiful Jessie. She passed away on May 2, 2022, in Santa Barbara where she was born and raised. We now must find a way to move forward and honor her effervescent soul.
Jessie was born in Santa Barbara on October 15, 1974, at Cottage Hospital. Raised by her parents, Donald Briggs and Catherine Sargent, she lived in a loving and energetic home with her siblings Matthew, Sarah and Jeffrey. Her youth was spent as center of her social circle; a kind, strong beacon of support and kindness to those around her. Attending Cold Spring Elementary, Santa Barbara Junior High and Santa Barbara High School; Jessie was an amazing athlete. She was a middle blocker on the Dons Varsity Girls Volleyball Team and excellent at tennis, golf, skiing or just roller skating around town.
During high school, Jessie was what could be described as adventurous. She drove a lifted Toyota 4×4. Her car was the car of choice for she and her friends to take cruising at lunch. Jessie had a horse (Kleeco) which she stabled at home on Mountain Drive. Kleeco was formerly a polo pony and was a handful for Jessie to trail ride on Mountain Drive. Then there was the sign caper. Late one night on her way back from Magic Mountain Jessie and friends stopped in Santa Paula and allegedly heisted the Briggs Road sign. That sign still marks the entrance to her father’s driveway.
After high school, Jessie attended Point Loma College on a volleyball scholarship. Jessie left Point Loma after just one year to pursue a modeling career. At age 19 Jessie was exactly 6 feet tall. Her career took off. Locally she modeled for the Jody DeMarcos Agency. In Los Angeles she modeled for both Elite and LA Models Agency. She made frequent appearances on the television show Melrose Place. She appeared on the Oprah Show modeling a line of clothes designed by Cindy Crawford. Her modeling career also took her to London and Milan where she worked for the Black and White Agency. Jessie’s success as a model stemmed from her natural grace and athletic ability. And to her credit, she never developed an overly infected ego based on her modeling successes.
Growing up Jessie was active in the Montecito Covenant Church, worshiping with the church and actively participating in community activities and mission trips to Mexico. Jessie was fiercely protective of her friends and family, using her natural charm to protect and nurture them. Equally comfortable visiting her grandparents at the Ojai Valley Inn, swimming at the Coral Casino or hanging with friends at a football game followed by a bonfire at Top of the World or Hammonds at night; Jessie made all of those around her at ease with her beautiful smile and characteristic diastema.
Jessie and her husband, Nick, met in San Francisco in 2004. Shortly after meeting Jessie moved from Malibu to San Francisco and she and Nick were together for the next 18 years. Theirs was a storybook love affair. They traveled extensively, including a 7-week adventure to Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. They married in 2010 and lived in numerous exotic places including Maui, Kauai, Malibu, Puerto Rico, and Florida. Jessie worked alongside Nick in his investment business. Nick describes Jessie as a person who overflowed with kindness and warmth. Graceful, smart, and strongly committed to Jesus and her faith. Jessie and Nick frequently engaged in prayer together.
Jessie is survived by her Grandfather Richard Sargent, her parents Donald Briggs and Catherine Sargent, her husband Nick Nagy, brothers Matthew and Jeffrey Briggs, sister Sarah Briggs, her stepmother Elizabeth, stepbrother Lee Shiffman, stepsister Amy Hendel, her aunt Marie Sargent and niece and nephews Jackson, Nolan, August, Bodie and Ryan Briggs.
Jessie will be remembered on June 5, 2022. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation in Jessie’s name to Ocean Hills Covenant Church
oceanhills.org