Jamie Clay Vance, a Nashville healthcare executive who was known nationally for his work in the addiction recovery space, was stricken critically ill and died Saturday, June 28, 2025, while driving his daughter Eloise home from his Jiu jitsu practice. Despite heroic efforts by Nashville first responders at the scene, Jamie did not survive. Eloise was uninjured.
Jamie was a beloved leader in the recovery community with clients from Florida to California. In recent years he partnered with the Bradford Group of Atlanta and Nashville to found Healthy Minds, a concept he developed to deliver outpatient psychiatric and counseling services to patients throughout middle Tennessee. The concept was born of Jamie’s belief that mental wellness is the critical component to overall health in today’s fast-paced world beset at times by depression, grief and loneliness.
Ali Farooqui, M.D., Jamie’s partner and Medical Director of Healthy Minds clinics, described Jamie as “the most pure-hearted person I have met. The passion, care, energy and thoughtfulness that he expressed not just towards his work, but towards all people that he encountered, was palpable. Every interaction with him was a delight, and he will be missed dearly.”
Jamie Clay Vance was born on September 7, 1978, to Tommy Vance of Murray, Kentucky and Beverly Wright of Nashville, who survive. He also is survived by son Xander, 15; and by daughter Eloise, 8; and her mother Millicent, all of whom he loved dearly. Jamie is also survived by his stepfather Scott Wright; brother Adam Wright and sister Bethany Wright, as well as Bryn Vance, Jamie’s niece. Jamie was predeceased by a brother, Tom Vance.
Jamie grew up and attended public schools in Murray, as well as Murray State University before setting out on his own for a series of jobs “out west” that included long-haul driving an 18-wheeler, ranch hand, and outdoor adventure guide for at-risk youth. As a young adult, he struggled with addiction, but with recovery more than 22 years ago he discovered not only a new self he liked better than the old one, but a career. He was a counselor and business development officer at Cumberland Heights for several years before setting up his private practice and working for mental health start-up companies.
As accomplished as he was professionally, Jamie was perhaps most effective and personally rewarded by the service he rendered “for fun and for free” within the recovery community.
Jamie had a remarkable ability to connect with people from all walks of life, and he kept the connections strong throughout his too-short life. If Jamie was your friend and counselor, he was your friend for life. He was an imposing physical presencebig and strong and consistently winning or showing well in his age-group Jiu jitsu competition throughout the region and nationally. But he was a kind and gentle soul at heart, and a loving and devoted father.
A celebration of Jamie’s life will be held at Cumberland Heights, 8283 River Road Pike, in the auditorium of the Frist Family Life Center, on Sunday, July 6, 2025. Visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m., and the service will follow at 3:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Jamie’s memory to Cumberland Heights, reflecting Jamie’s enduring commitment to making a difference in people’s lives.
This obituary was originally published by The Tennessean.
