Jennifer Karen Jarvis LaFauci, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away on December 18 at the age of 72 at All American Assisted Living in Londonderry, NH after a prolonged battle with Parkinson’s Disease.
Jennifer was born on January 1, 1953 in Houston, Texas to her Air Force veteran father Harold “Hal” Jarvis and her mother, Shirley Brown Jarvis. Jennifer spent her 6 years of elementary school in Durango, Mexico and later moved to Whittier, California where she graduated from La Serna High School 1971. She spent a year at the University of Southern California and then transferred to the University of Tulsa when her family moved to Claremore, Oklahoma.
She graduated from Tulsa in 1975 where she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and Motor Board, an organization of outstanding senior women. Her sense of humor, compassion, and loving kindness made her a friend to all. Jennifer moved to the northeast upon graduation and worked as a flight attendant for American Airlines and then for Framingham-based Voltech Electric.
She met her husband, David LaFauci, on a blind date set up by a mutual friend. The two were married in 1980 and moved to Londonderry in 1981. She later was a stay-at-home mom, working tirelessly to provide opportunities for her only son, Trevor, and her family. She would volunteer at South Elementary School to support student learning and would often provide rides to and from sports practices for her son and his teammates. She was a lifelong learner and found a passion for early internet chatrooms discussing the topic of metaphysics. She was bilingual, was an avid supporter of FC Barcelona, and would integrate Spanish language terms in the home.
She helped raise four dogs, including two golden retrievers, a chocolate labrador, and an Alaskan Malamute. She enjoyed the outdoors and spending time with her extended family during their annual summer retreats to Lake Tahoe on the California/Nevada border. Her family was important to her and she never shied away from telling them that she loved them.
She is survived by her loving husband, David LaFauci; her mother, Shirley Jarvis of Davis, CA; her brothers, Steve Jarvis of Whittier, CA and Duncan Jarvis of Claremore, OK; her son and spouse, Trevor LaFauci and Shweta Kukreja; beloved granddaughter Tara; and many other loving family members and friends.
The family invites you to a visitation on Tuesday, January 6, from 4–7 PM at Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 290 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, NH 03053. There will be no formal burial service.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in her memory to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research.