Submitted by Michael Grindell
Friends and family,
It is with a heavy heart that brings me to share that my dear sister Jennifer passed away at the end of last week of natural causes. She was just 58 years old.
Jennifer and I were both born in NYC, moved with our family to Tucson, AZ then Geneseo, NY, and landed in Manhattan, KS for middle school and high school. Jennifer went on to graduate from Tulane University and lived in Atlanta for a few years after college. She bravely migrated to San Pedro, Belize in 2001 to open an award-winning restaurant called Casa Picasso. This was her life’s passion. Economics and other factors led to the demise of Casa Picasso, Jennifer then ran a laundry business and had other means of earning a living after. Eventually, the Belize journey ended, and we brought Jennifer back to Atlanta fall of 2016. With grit and determination, Jennifer got back on her feet, landed a great job at the Law School at GSU, and =created a new life for herself. Debbie and I could not have been prouder of her. We saw her almost weekly for dinner and a movie.
The last year we saw a decline in Jennifer – especially the last few months. She was getting help, but tragically her life path ended short. I know my sister did not want to die – I am not sure the bright light of life burned for her – all of our paths are different.
We are going to remember the best about Jennifer – her kindness, her loyalty, her cooking, her love of the arts and dancing. We have had some great adventures – floating the Grand Canyon as kids, trips to Belize, trips to the beach, and a very memorable family trip to Sundance in February 2020 to celebrate my 60th birthday.
We will have Jennifer cremated and have her laid to rest in Manhattan, KS later this year – we will place Jennifer’s remains with my Mom, Dad, and my second Mom Karma. That will be a good place for her spirit.
