Jaye Kyzmet Jason Jeffrey Kowolik November 6, 1971 - February 26, 2010 SALEM - On the 26th of February 2010, Jaye Kyzmet, of Salem, passed away in her sleep. Jason Jeffrey Joyner was born in Los Angeles on November 6, 1971 to Helen and Doug Joyner. After living with his family in California, Alaska, and Minnesota, he and his mother moved to Oregon. In 1977, his mother married John Kowolik and moved to McMinnville. After adoption, his last name changed to Kowolik. In McMinnville he attended Memorial School, St. James School, McMinnville Jr. High School, and graduated from McMinnville High School in 1989. Following graduation, he entered the US Army and served in military intelligence as a translator during Desert Storm, stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas, and later at the Presidio in Monterey, California, with reserve time spent at Ft. Lewis, Washington. During his service time, he was married to Beverly Smiley of McMinnville. They had a son, Ryan Matthew Kowolik, born in February 1990. After an honorable discharge from the Army, he attended Western Oregon University, graduating with a degree in . Planning on applying his education to a good cause, he became a reserve police officer with the City of Yamhill and then with the City of Amity. Police work, however, was not compatible with some of his life aims, so he began counseling others and attending  meetings, gaining great personal satisfaction from performing this function. In 1995 he married Lena Lewis in McMinnville. They were blessed with the birth of a son, Nathaniel Paul Kowolik, in March 1997. Living in Willamina for awhile, the family then moved to Keizer and Salem. In 2001 he entered into a domestic partnership with Scott Smith of Salem for a number of years, and then began with the Oregon State Hospital in Salem, beginning in security and communications, then moving on to  and mental health therapist. In recent years, Jason explored his relationship with gender identity, deciding to satisfy his need to express himself as a woman. Undergoing transgender procedures, he changed his legal identity to a woman, choosing and using the name Jaye Kyzmet. Jaye could be rambunctious, irreverent, playful, contemplative, humorous, disrespectful, and could exemplify many other adjectives, but he and later she always showed a deep concern for any of the people she interacted with in life. Whatever interested her at any time in her life, she always followed to the fullest. Her passing will be mourned by all those who knew her, worked with her, or in any other way had dealings with her on a personal and professional level. Her mother and father preceded her in death. Survivors include her sons, Ryan Kowolik and Nathaniel Kowolik of Salem; ex-spouses, Beverly Michelle Stone of Shelton, Wash., Lena Lewis of Salem, Ore., and Scott Smith of Salem; a granddauther, Kadence Kowolik of Salem; a brother, Jonathan Kowolik of New York City; and stepfather, John Kowolik of McMinnville. A Memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 6 at the City View Funeral Home, 390 Hoyt Street S. Salem, Ore. 97302. All those who knew her in life will be welcome. Arrangements by