Amanda died tragically on January 7, 2022 as a result of a ski accident near Nelson. Amanda was living and working in Nelson for the Ministry of Forests as a Silvicultural Systems Researcher. She embraced the Nelson community with its fabulous outdoor recreational opportunities. She loved both winter and summer sports of all kinds. She played with the Canadian Women’s National Baseball Team for 15 years and she was most proud when the team won a silver medal at the Pan Am Games in 2015. She also played NCAA hockey and softball, as well as CIS hockey for two years with the UBC Thunderbirds Women’s Hockey Team.

Amanda was born and raised in Prince George, B.C. She attended Brown University where she obtained a B.Sc. in Human Biology. She went on to graduate school at UBC and she obtained a Master of Science and then a Ph.D. in Forestry. She worked with Dr. Suzanne Simard (her Supervisor and Advisor) on the “Mother Tree”, “Intelligent Trees”, and other projects. Amanda’s research was focused on kin selection in trees and their communication in underground mycorrhizal fungal networks.

Amanda is survived by loving family, friends, and teammates around the world. This is such a tragic and unexpected loss. She was full of life and our lives will never be the same without her. Her utterly amazing legacy will live on in the memories of all who knew and loved her. Rest in peace Amanda Bear.

“Amanda was just like the trees she studied: making the world a better place for us all. She looked out for us, worked side by side with us, and she mentored hundreds of undergrads as a TA in several courses. She was our superhero.” – Dr. Suzanne Simard, Amanda’s Graduate Supervisor and Professor, UBC Forestry (to read Suzanne’s full eulogy remembering Amanda, click here)

To honour Amanda’s memory, her family would like to help other students continue her work in Forestry. Your gift will go towards supporting female students pursuing their studies in Forestry with a shared passion for Athletics through the Dr. Amanda Asay Legacy Award (in Forestry) , with final decisions on award descriptions and student eligibility being made in consultation with the Asay family.