Jess Reid and sister were meant to get married a week apart- Jess' death devastating

Jess Reid (right) pictured last year at her Hastings workplace, PETStock. Photo/ Warren Buckland

Hastings woman Jess Reid's family and friends have been left "collecting memories" of a "sweetheart of a woman" who was taken too soon.

Reid's friend, work colleague and boss Gaylene Holley said Reid was 23 when she died suddenly at her Hastings home last Friday. The cause of her death was unknown but her friends and family believe it might have something to do with her the epileptic seizures she'd been battling for a "long time", Holley said.

Reid had been working with Holley at PETstock, Hastings, for more than two years, ever since the store opened and they quickly became firm friends.

"As a worker she was an outstanding sales associate, hard working, loved grooming and she was outstanding at it.

"Last week we sent her to train at PETstock puppy school.

"She was a sweetheart, with a good sense of humour, and she was very close to the team. She was so genuine and passionate about her job."

Reid's passion meant she was never late for work and did not suffer tardiness lightly, but for fateful Friday.

"One of the staff was opening the shop on their own and setting stuff up and I asked them who was meant to be with them. They said they were meant to be with Jess."

The staff member had tried calling and texting Jess, to no avail.

"Jess was never late, she hated tardiness."

The emergency services were called and by the time Reid's fiance Alex Bradley arrived, Reid had already passed away.

"Alex was at work and he drove straight to the house.

"I picked up her mum Karen, who also works for the company in Christchurch, and sister Hannah and her boyfriend on Friday from the airport."

The family were "pretty broken but thankful for the support", she said.

"They are collecting memories, they are such a close knit family. Hannah is her older sibling by a couple of years.

"The two sisters were getting married a week after each other in March 2020. They were going to be each others bridesmaids. Alex will now be stepping in to represent Jess."

Reid was 16 when she met Bradley and the pair quickly became inseparable.

The "reptile crazy" couple were engaged in December 2018 in Auckland Zoo's Galapagos tortoise enclosure and their wedding was arranged for March 2020.

"She loved animals specially her beloved dog Zac, her cat Kitcat, and lizards and dragons", Holley said.

Reid and Bradley moved into their "dream property" in June of this year, with plans to settle down and raise a family.

Unfortunately Reid's death means Bradley would be unable to keep the home he shared with Reid and their pets because it was dependant on two incomes, unless he can fund the mortgage.

Keeping that in mind Holley started a Givealittle page in Reid's memory to help Bradley "grieve in peace without having to worry about finances.

"I would love to make sure we cover him for a year. When you are grieving you don't want to think about advertising for a boarder or how you will pay your mortgage.

"We would love to raise some funds to help Alex stay in the home they were supposed to share their entire lives in."