By faith we know that the universe, the stars of the heavens, this world, and human life was formed by the will of the Creator, so that what is seen was made from that which is unseen. And so became our Jenny.

To say the very least, Jenny was always kind, generous, approachable, warm and appreciative.  I never knew her to put on airs or judge a book by its cover. And she was so kindly, and tenderly wise that she never assumed anything less of me.

She always greeted me with a warm smile, held my hand when meeting her at the window where she sat spending her days, and warmly welcomed me when I intruded into the privacy of her home to have a moment with her. My experience in knowing Jenny reaffirmed my conviction of how important meaningful, honest relationships are in life – even when you know they are going to hurt. 

When our landlord failed in their duty to keep our block safe, and Birdel & I had to step in and coordinate appropriate community action, Jenny was not ashamed to acknowledge our shared vulnerabilities, express her gratitude, and within the limitations of her age, was helpful and supportive. She was always true with a sense of humility.

I will digress for just a moment to make a point. If my own mother, a hateful envy sociopath, had but one drop of Jenny’s blood flowing through her veins she would have been a decent human being.

In short, Jenny was the finest women I’ve ever known, it was a privilege to be one of the people in this world she cared about. I have thought and/or said this more times then I can count; if I could have filled every empty flat on the Meadow Close estate with Jennies, I would have. She is truly a blessing I will never forget.

Regardless of your faith, certainly you will agree, that our loving and kind Creator has Jenny in the palm of Their hand, proud of Their creation. And the Creator knows just how broken hearted we all are. When the time comes for each of us, the Creator will see that Jenny’s light shines so brightly that none of her beloved will have any trouble finding and being reunited with this most precious of women.

Lastly, I would like to thank Birdel, Audrey and Willfred for the lovely picture of Jenny, the picture that now sits on the lamp table in my living room. The picture that brings tears of joy in remembering the wonderful person of Jenny who graced our lives. A person, as measured by how much they loved, how much they are loved, and by a life measured in dreams of family fulfilled, was the richest person I have ever known. And all that without effort on her part, as it was just her nature.

Though not a part of our notes, I’d like to add; all of you had a special name for Jenny. We too on the Meadow Close estate had a name for her; “Our – Afro-Caribbean – Queen.”

Thank you one and all for allowing me to share.

JP McLaughlin

Copyright 2021