Game designer Jennell Jaquays, who was a level designer on Earthquake 2 and 3, the notable writer Dungeons and Dragons adventures and more, has died at the age of 67.
As an extension of time reportsin a mail On Jaquays' GoFundMe page, his wife, Rebecca Heineman, announced yesterday (January 10) that Jaquays' heart had stopped four times and she did not recover. “I will pay her medical bills and make funeral arrangements,” Heineman said. “I will be mourning for a while. Thank you for coming to help Jennell in her time of need.”
Jaquays had previously been treated for Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare disease that affects the peripheral nerves. Heineman, who originally organized the GoFundMe page to help with Jaquays' medical costs, explained last year that his wife had fallen ill on October 15, “and [within] For 36 hours she was barely alive and connected to a respirator.” At the time, Jaquays was expected to face six to 12 months of rehabilitation.
Throughout his long career, Jaquays wrote the 1979 book Thracian Caverns and 1980 Dark Tower adventure modules for Dungeons and Dragons and Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, respectively. She was also the cover illustrator for the 1993 adventure. Dragon Mountainwhich was published by TSR.
In the video game industry, he worked for Coleco for several years in the 1980s, where he converted classic arcade titles including donkey kong and Pac-Man for the company's home arcade system, ColecoVision. She later earned credits on a variety of games at different companies, including playing a level designer role in Earthquake 2 and Earthquake 3 Arena. Additionally, he drafted a series of project proposals with ideas to sell to game publisher and developer Epyx.
Following Jaquay's death, on Twitter/X, Heineman wrote: “To paraphrase Dr. Seuss: don't cry because Jennell is gone. Smile because she touched your life. I wish that one day she can touch my life again.”
