Jennifer Mary Hawkins

Jennifer Mary Hawkins of Jupiter Farms, FL passed away peacefully in her bed, surrounded by her family and her beloved pets, on 02 May 2024. We are heartbroken by her passing, but eternally grateful for the time we had with her. We know that she is in a better place, catching-up with her mother, Grace and perhaps seeing our oldest brother, Michael - a child who died only a day after being born and whom none of us ever got to meet. The world is a poorer place without Jenny, but Heaven just got a little better.

Everyone who ever met Jennifer considered her a friend. She just had a way of making you feel welcome. It did not matter whether you were a family member, close friend, coworker, neighbor, casual acquaintance or the bagger at the grocery, Jennifer treated you like someone special. She would make you smile. She would make you laugh. I know so many people who met her only once, but who have since asked about her and wished to see her again. She was just FUN. Being around her made you happy. She dearly loved her friends and often told me how lucky she was to be blessed with so many. Of course, we were the ones who were blessed. Whether hiking a national park, boating, going to the theater or a concert or shopping, it was just better when Jennifer was there. She was kind, caring, funny, smart, and loving. She could also be snarky, sarcastic, blunt, and direct, but she was never mean.

Anyone who spent time at Jennifer’s house in The Farms knew that each day began and ended with sitting on her patio and admiring the wonderful backyard sanctuary she had created. In the right season, we might stay all day. Her yard was always alive with critters. She loved them all, but she especially enjoyed the birds. Jennifer also cultivated a spectacular butterfly and hummingbird garden. There were plants for feeding and plants for hosting. A daily trip around the yard was required to see whether any new caterpillars had hatched on a particular host plant - Milkweed for the Monarchs, Coontie for the Atalas, Dutchman’s Pipe for the Swallow-tails, and other plants for the Zebra Long-wings and the Sulphurs. During a trip to a plant nursery last year, Jen insisted I carry an unfamiliar (to us) plant to her car for purchase simply because it was COVERED IN BEES. This Teabush plant thrived next to the patio and became a favorite because it is literally always buzzing.

Out front, a bat house overlooks her pond full of turtles and fish, it is home to a seasonal colony of Mexican free-tailed bats. At dusk, Jennifer and guests would attempt to count the tiny bodies as they dropped from the box and took flight. The record-high total occurred earlier this year when Jen, Jan and Chris counted almost one hundred bats! Jennifer loved wildlife. All wildlife.

Jen is survived by her father, Sam, brothers Chris and Jamie, sisters Jan and Kay, O.G. niece Jessica, nephews Josh, Daniel, Sam and Matt, #1 niece-in-law, Jill, and an incredible group of friends.

In lieu of flowers, Jennifer requested donations be sent to her favorite charity - The Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, or any charity of your choice. There is a link to her page at The Busch below:

https://buschwildlife.networkforgood.com/projects/225845-in-memory-of-jennifer-hawkins

A Celebration of Life will be held in Jennifer’s honor on 08 June from 5:00-7:30 pm at The Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, 17855 Rocky Pines Road, Jupiter, Florida.