Jennifer Ann York

“Give me a problem and I’ll hand you a solution.” Those who knew Jennifer Ann York would agree that that motto accurately described her. Jennifer was a woman of great drive and a very original, independent thinker. For Jennifer, no challenge was impossible, and just about any desired result was within her grasp. Jennifer placed great trust in her intuition. Since that intuition generally led her in the right direction, who was she to doubt it.

Jennifer was born on January 17, 1937 at Maywood Hospital in Maywood, California. She was the daughter of T. R. and Gertrude Evans. Her childhood found her in San Diego, California where she matured into the independent person she eventually became.

Jennifer grew up with two sisters, Betty and Betsey. Jennifer could be seen as being stubborn by her siblings. It was important to her that she was perceived as “right” when it came to her part in those typical family spats. However, this quality did not over power her caring for her family. This ability to balance her family, with her need to be seen as right, helped her to develop into a young adult while enjoying many good times with her family.

During her grade school years, Jennifer was a very focused and serious student who actually enjoyed the challenge of many classroom problems. She was determined to succeed, and she drew upon her gifts of trust and perseverance to provide her with a competitive edge. Jennifer delighted in projects that required planning, critical thinking and resolution. She was also a member of the Girl Scouts.

During high school, Jennifer was relentless in her pursuit of learning, especially in those subject areas that really grabbed hold of her interests. It wasn't that she didn't put forth her best efforts in all classes, but if a subject really interested her, she would eagerly put forth extra effort to learn all she could. Jennifer graduated from Point Loma High School in San Diego in 1955.

Jennifer was loyal to her friends. She found that she was most in tune with people who had similar interests and thought about things much the way that she did. Jennifer sometimes had a tendency to be critical in her friendships but she was more interested in finding out what was right in a situation rather than in being mean toward others. She never intentionally set out to hurt any of her friends. Jennifer was a person who challenged others to fend for themselves and to be original in their thinking and evaluation of the outside world. Later in life, she became friends with Carol, Oak, Ann, Irene, and Paula.

Jennifer often neglected her own feelings in order to give to others. This was very true when it came to how she dealt with her children. She was able to hand on to each child a number of strong values. She taught them to appreciate their abilities, gave them a desire to persevere despite obstacles and set within them a drive to succeed. She had three children- two daughters, Donna and Lori and one son, Bob. She also had two grandchildren, Ashley and Staci. They were always aware of how much Jennifer loved them.

During Jennifer's professional working years, she was at her best when working independently. It became the hallmark of her performance. Jennifer was generally able to refocus her drive and determination and readily work toward finding a way to get things done that was beneficial to herself and her co-workers. Her primary occupations were as a hostess and model.

For Jennifer, her outside interests and hobbies became another exercise in learning and mastering areas that interested her. She greatly enjoyed unraveling the "hows" and "whys" that lay behind her hobbies. Jennifer was always pushing herself to learn more and to stretch her knowledge base even further. She firmly believed that the more things that she knew the more control she would have over things. Her favorite pursuits were dancing, decorating, sewing, modeling, shopping, and watching her favorite movies. Recreational sports that Jennifer enjoyed included golf and ping pong.

Jennifer's faith allowed her to better appreciate the gifts and opinions of others. This deepening aspect of her life helped her to accept her own feelings to a greater degree. She was a member of Canyon Ridge Christian Church for 10 years. During that time, she volunteered for various church functions, serving on the funeral committee.

Jennifer's skepticism was visible when she found it necessary to place too much trust in one person. This was never clearer than when it was time for her to schedule a vacation or period of time away from her regular schedule. Jennifer loved the research aspects of planning a trip, but the actual process of relaxing was far more difficult. Still, she did manage to enjoy some time away. Favorite vacations included the Carribean, Mexico, and just cruising in general!

Jennifer was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Two of Jennifer's favorites were BJ and Brandy. They were best friends for 10 years.

When Jennifer's retirement finally came in 1972, she was ready. She worked out many of the details in advance so that she could enjoy the time and not have to worry. Her new life involved relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada. In retirement, she found new pleasure in golf, being active in the church, volunteering at the hospital, and sewing.

Jennifer Ann York passed away on January 19, 2011 at UMC in Las Vegas, Nevada after suffering a massive stroke. She is survived by her children, Donna, Lori, and Bob; her grandchildren, Ashley and Staci; and her sisters, Betty and Betsey. Services were held at Canyon Ridge Church in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jennifer Ann York was always drawn to what was measurable, practical and factual. She was a very competent person who expected competence from others. She could be headstrong and certain about the way things were suppose to be. She was determined in every aspect of her life and certain that she was usually right about things. She trusted her intuition over all else, even if it opposed the popular belief, and she had faith in her inner vision and speculations. She wanted to be acknowledged by others as having made a contribution to whatever she was working on. Her family and friends will miss her fierce determination, relentless innovations and analytic mind. She leaves with all those who knew her many wonderful memories.

Arrangements under the direction of Palm Eastern Funeral Home, Las Vegas, NV.