Date of Birth: January 19, 1954
Date of Death: July 07, 2022
Jennifer Armstrong was born January 19, 1954 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, going home on July 7, 2022 from ALS at the age of 68. Graduating Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she studied writing and journalism. Jennifer moved to California and has lived in several places including Virginia, Bermuda, Washington D.C., Oklahoma, and Arizona. Jennifer was a skilled interviewer and a talented writer and wrote many free-lance projects. She was politically minded, very active, and just so much fun! She was always a go-getter, very strong, and lived every minute of her life to the fullest. She had incredible energy and had the strength to take charge, but in a joyful way. There was nothing she could not do. She once published a newspaper for a very large Washington D. C. metro area church, founded the Northern Virginia Christian Writers Group with a friend, started West Wing Republicans in Peoria with a friend, and organized the Neighborhood Women's Bible Study in Arizona. When Jennifer welcomed a baby girl, Amelia-Grace, into her life, she immediately turned her focus to becoming a dedicated stay-at-home mom. Her determination, strong convictions, and amazing organizational skills were greatly admired. Jennifer attended as was involved in many school activities, more than one cold count, including becoming an accomplished Girl Scout leader and coming up with the best adventures for kids! She was a perfect friend: kind, thoughtful, caring, and generous with a wonderful sense of humor. Jennifer had a strong faith in God, leaning on and trusting in Him to the very end. Even when facing terrible injustices or disappointments, she bore them with dignity and grace, always looking to our Lord to get her through. God was always her fortress and her safe haven. Jennifer was a marvelous example of a Godly Christian woman. She was proceeded in death by her mother Joan (Vorhauer) McCarthy, brother Russel McCarthy, sister Carol McCarthy, and others. She is survived by her daughter Amelia-Grace, Florida, brother and sister-in-law Vincent and Sharon Ferranti, Arizona, and Tony and Karin Ferranti of New Jersey, cousin Lilian Tita of Minnesota, along with several nieces and nephews. A memorial to celebrate her life will be held September 20, 2022, 3:00 p.m. Arizona time, at Copper Hills Church, Peoria, Arizona, where she was a member. In lieu of flowers or monetary gifts, Jennifer asks that you lift up her daughter in prayer each day.
Service Information
3:00 pm, Tuesday, September 20, 2022 at Copper Hills Church in Peoria, Arizona
Contributions
In lieu of flowers or monetary gifts, Jennifer asks that you lift up her daughter in prayer each day.
I had the pleasure of meeting Jenifer just a few months ago before her illness grew worse. She was warm and friendly and I am appreciative to have made her acquaintance. I did not know her for very long , yet she made an impact on my life. Although she became ill, I recall her saying that she wanted to fulfill whatever it was that that God had for her hands to do. I was inspired because I knew she was already I’ll at that moment, and still she had the mindset and tenacity to want to help others. I will miss her, I will miss our texting and encouraging words we shared with one another. I won’t soon forget her.
Mrs. Ilene Lewis. RN
I knew Jennifer for a short time, when she was volunteering at Choices Pregnancy Center. She was so kind, and loving! She is greatly missed. I will keep Amelia Grace in prayer!
Jennifer was such a blessing to everyone. I met her through the women’s Bible study and found that despite our age difference, we had so much in common in various topics. I was fortunate to hear some amazing stories from various times in her life and other experiences she had. She always had a smile and would give advice when asked. Jennifer is tremendously missed but I am excited for the promise to see her again one sweet day! God brings people into our lives for a reason, sometimes for only a season, but there’s always a blessing to experience! Jennifer was and is a blessing! I send love & prayers of comfort to her friends and family.
Jennifer had a special gift to make you feel welcome and part of her tribe. She freely shared her relationship with Jesus and is greatly missed here on earth. Heaven, however, is rejoicing!
I am so sad to hear of Jennifer’s passing. We were her neighbor for about six years. Jennifer was one of the kindest and most faithful people I know. The thing that impressed me the most about her was her love of God and her desire to be obedient and faithful. What a great example to people around her.
Amelia Grace, I am so sorry that you don’t have your Mom right now but I know how much she loves you. I know that she will still watch over you. You can find peace through Christ just as your Mom always did during difficult times in her life. I will pray for strength and comfort during this difficult time.
Please know that you are loved.
I’m very grateful for the God-given opportunity I had to meet Jennifer through the Women’s Bible Study.
Her thoughtfulness, love and zeal to draw closer to Father God was truly a witness to our group.
Jennifer had a way of leaning into what God taught her as she held steady to the course He had her on.
I think of Psalm 16:8 of how Jennifer walked with Father: “Because you are close to me and always available, my confidence will never be shaken, for I experience your wrap-around Presence every moment.” She truly walked this verse out unto the very last breath she breathed on earth. What a woman of inspiration she was on earth and now is in Heaven!
Praying for dear Amelia Grace
Jennifer,
It was an privilege and honor to know you and call you my friend. Your faith in our Lord was to be admired and gave me hope.
I know you are happy in heaven with our Lord but I miss you here. Lots of Love,
Jennifer was a beautiful & special friend from our days at Marquette University. I will always have fond memories of our time living in M. Carpenter Toweron the 5th & 15th floor. May you now be forever happy & at peace.
I only knew Jennifer for 5 years but it seemed like a life time ago. She was always amazing . I am so disappointed we never got to do our girls beach week because Covid came along and messed the whole situation up.
I am so glad she is now with the Lord and has been loosed from that body that was holding her hostage.
I told her I wanted an adjoining room when I got there. She said she was going to get a spa put in and everything.
I just loved her and still do love her.
Mary Titcomb, I knew Jennifer from our college days at Marquette in Milwaukee. She was my freshman and sophomore roommate, and she was a ton of fun! Also a very thoughtful and considerate friend and confidante. I am glad that we stayed in touch in the nearly 50! years since then, as we both married and had children. She will be so missed! Amelia-Grace, you are in my thoughts.
There aren’t enough words…
I asked the Father for guidance and He sent Jennifer. Jennifer was my friend, my spiritual leader, my confidant and my sister in Christ. We shared laughter and tears, celebrated victories and mourned our losses.
I will be forever grateful to have shared a small part of this wonderful woman’s life.
Save my spot Jen, I will see you again..
Love, Jana
Jennifer was a force of nature. She seemed fearless to me when I first met her at the Evangelical Press Association conference in 1995. Full of life, willing to try anything, but eager to encourage others to do the same. She welcomed me in mto the EPA family and inspired me to aim high. I pray for peace and hope for her daughter, who she adored. Thanks, Jennifer, for your kindness and courage, and sharing it with me, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I am so fortunate to have had such a beautiful soul in my life during high school and college. She was fun and daring, smart and compassionate, and was very good at lifting the spirit and energy of anyone in her presence. So sorry we no longer have her in this world.
Love to Amelia-Grace, Jennifer’s beloved daughter
Jennifer is missed beyond belief. What a beautiful servant she was to all. Anyone she met she touched their heart. Jennifer barely knew me but knew I was struggling in my marriage and was oh so willing to accept me in her home if I needed a place to stay. I remember her phoning me and telling me that she had plenty of room and that she wouldn’t ask any questions and that I was more than welcome to stay with her until I figure things out. To know Jennifer is to know Jesus. For the short period of time that I knew her I loved her dearly and she loved everyone dearly. She never complained a day in her life, she was always wise and filled with wisdom and ready and willing to share. I know when she met the Lord Jesus He said well done my good and faithful servant because that’s who she was. I love you Jennifer and you will be so missed by so many. Thank you for blessing me, my heart, my home, and for always accepting for building relationships with everyone and shining Jesus in and through you so we wanted more of Him. It’s not goodbye Jennifer it’s I will see you soon.
Jennifer was a loving and kind person who always made time for everyone else. I loved her and though sad she is no longer with us, I am happy that she is now at peace. I will miss her. Lillian
Aunt Jen’s Eulogy
We are gathered here today to celebrate Jennifer. It is with heavy hearts we say goodbye to a remarkable woman. We all loved her for the person she was. She was gracious, kind, strong-willed, tolerant, and loving. Jennifer was all that and a great deal more.
She was a wife, a devoted mother, a daughter, a sister-in-law, an aunt, and a very dear friend to countless people. Jennifer was my sister-in-law whom I’ve known and loved for over 30 years. We clicked and became fast friends at our very first meeting. We never thought of each other as in-laws. We were sisters and friends.
On several occasions, Jennifer told me that she decided to marry Dan during her visit to meet our family. Jennifer was the sister I never had, and I am eternally grateful.
Jennifer eventually relocated to Arizona from Virginia to be closer to her mother, Joan, and her sister Carol. Our family was delighted to have Jennifer here in Arizona with us.
Of course, the love of Jennifer’s life was Amelia-Grace. Jennifer loved her daughter to the moon and back and did everything for her. Jennifer was a woman of strong faith. Her relationship with God and her church community carried her through some very difficult years. Jennifer’s spirit of resilience, good humor, and strong faith undoubtedly saw her through painful moments of personal grief and facing her illness that would rob her of her life when she had so much life left to live and so many gifts left to give.
Everyone fortunate enough to know Jennifer was blessed with the warmth and happiness she brought to those around her. I will miss our chats, our holiday dinners, and our monthly lunch date at BJ’s, where we would sit and talk for hours. But most of all, I will miss my sister, my friend. Her family and friends loved her more than words could convey, and she will live on in our hearts forever.
At this time, I’d like to introduce Jennifer’s niece, my daughter, Lyn, to say a few words.
Good afternoon. My name is Lyn. Jennifer was my Aunt. When I was 17 years old, I wrote a poem about death. I’m not sure what inspired me to do so at such a young age. At that time, my Aunt Jennifer was involved in writing and publishing. I didn’t know it then, but Aunt Jennifer submitted my poem to the National Library of Poetry. My poem was accepted and published in their book that year. She surprised me with a copy of that book and had it mounted on a plaque.
My Aunt saw something in me I didn’t see in myself at that time. That poem would have ended up within the pages of a forgotten journal if not for her. My Aunt has been an inspiration to me in so many ways. I want to share the poem I wrote with you now.
When I Am Gone
When I am gone, do not cry
Do not wonder, do not ask why
Remember me when I have laughed and the times I have cried
Do not be sorry we never said goodbye.
Do not look back into the past,
Do not ask why the gift of life has come and gone so fast
Remember me with a smile on my face and know
We will someday meet again in the everlasting place
Remember you are the one I loved
And you can see me smiling at you when you look into the stars above
So when you read this poem, please hold back your tears
And think about our time together in the living years
Once you step into the light, you have kissed the living world goodnight
And when we finally meet again, it will not be the beginning or the end
So to this world, I say goodbye without wondering or asking why
And to all the people I once knew,
Until we meet again, I will be missing you.
I’ll miss you forever, Aunt Jen.
I found a poem by Anon that reminded me of Aunt Jen. If she could speak to us today, I believe this is what she would say. My son, John-Michael, Jennifer’s nephew, will share that poem with you now.
Don’t Grieve for me; for now, I’m free
I’m following the path God laid for me
I took his hand when I heard him call
I turned my back and left it all
I could not stay another day.
To laugh, to love, to work or play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way.
I found that place at the close of day.
If my parting left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared a laugh, a kiss.
Ah, yes, these things I, too, will miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow.
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life’s been full; I savored much;
Good friends, good times, a loved ones touch.
Perhaps my time seems all too brief,
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me.
God wanted me now.
He set me free.
Anon
I didn’t know Jennifer very long and she invited me into her life and I adored her for the short time we knew each other. When my parents were sick in Australia, we prayed and messaged each other and I just felt her love all around me. She had such a presence. I know she’s at peace and I miss her dearly! The Lord will take care of her and she is now one of heavens angels.
“ A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed…
We feel lucky to have seen it.”
Jennifer was a dear friend and godly woman who I met through Neighborhood women’s bible study. I am so thankful that God had our paths cross if even for just a few short years. From my very first meeting her, she was a warm, welcoming, kind person who always shared the love of Jesus. She was full of energy, wisdom and the joy of the Lord radiated in her life. She was always willing to serve and help others and touched so many lives by her serving in her family, her community, her church, and the neighborhood women’s bible studies. She will be remembered for her wonderful steadfast testimony of her love for the Lord Jesus Christ. I was so blessed by her friendship, encouragement and unwavering commitment to live out her faith. She was exemplary in her desire to live her life to make an impact and to do God’s will. She is so greatly missed among us all and I know that the legacy she has left behind for all who knew her, whom she mentored, encouraged and shared her life with will never be forgotten. Thank you for blessing my life, Jennifer, I miss you, but I know that I will see you again dear sister Jennifer!
We had the chance to travel with Jennifer on two cruises. While she lived in Virginia , and we lived in New Jersey we were able to visit. We also spent time in her Arizona home.
We had the opportunity to appreciate her strength and dedication as a mother to Amelia Grace. Words that come to mind when describing Jennifer include: love, compassion, caring, and empathy.
We are grateful for those times that we spent together.
Tony and Karin Ferranti
Jennifer Ferranti was a person like no other.
Jennifer would befriend anyone.
Once she met you, she would immediately devise an incredibly structured plan on how she would be able to provide support and love.
Jennifer was remarkably intentional about everything.
No detail was ever left undone.
Especially when it came to how she loved others.
My heart is rich and full of love and pure gratitude for this life phenomenally well-lived!
Jennifer was my friend but more significantly my sister through our deep six year friendship.
I’ll never forget when she shared her diagnosis and I went home and wept.
I couldn’t imagine this beautiful soul having to walk this road.
And I selfishly didn’t want to lose my Earth Angel after recently losing my own husband of 26 years.
Jennifer and I started dreaming about taking trips together after his 2021 passing. As newly minted single gals we had some really funny dinner dates.
Then our Jennifer got the news that would change everything.
I remember being at Mayo Clinic with her and the doctors telling her all that would change.
I promised her as someone who took care of my paralyzed husband, I would happily be there for my sister-friend.
We giggled about what bathing would be like and I promised she would never have to be embarrassed.
Jennifer gave me the best memories in her last year of life.
We laughed as we cleared out and prepared things for donation.
At one point Jennifer and I were going to be roommates as we discussed me moving in to be there for her.
Jennifer would cry and say, Why would you do this?”
The answer was always simple, I felt so lost after having my husband rely on me and then all that was taken from me and I was lost.
Jennifer was helping me by letting me do this I thought.
Ultimately our Jennifer decided it was too much to ask.
I will never forget how much I longed to be with her.
But there was our precious Jennifer. Putting the good of others before herself.
I love you dear Jennifer.
I honor your remarkable life.
I still think of many of our conversations and giggle.
I think of how you heroically organized meal delivery and visits for my Mel Maki when work called me out of town in Florida.
I will never ever forget YOU!
I want to emulate you!
I want to remember your passion for your precious Amelia Grace and keep her forever in prayer.
I want to live a life like yours.
A life dedicated to the service and love of others!
Even after your diagnosis, you spoke excitedly about your entire day at the pregnancy crisis center.
You gave all you could until the absolute end.
You laid everything down with great love.
You are now forever in a place beyond our imagination. With the Saviour you served relentlessly.
We are SO MUCH BETTER because of YOU!
Thank you dear one and I’ll miss our lunch and dinner dates.
But one day when it’s my turn, I will come find you……..
I love you Jennifer, my sister-friend who suffers no more. You ran race and WON.
Love & Warm Hugs,
-Sandra Maki
Jennifer was always so kind, helpful and God’s light always shined thru her. I was married to her brother , Russell, who as everyone knows has passed away.. May he RIP. Being only married for a short time , When I filed for divorce and left him, Jennifer always treated me like a sister. She amazed me how she kept in touch with me over the years and brought such joy when I heard from her. She never judged me for my decision. We both knew it was the right thing to do. I miss you Jennifer, even tho we only spoke once or twice a year, you made such a difference in my life. Thank you my dear Jennifer, will love you forever.
I met Jennifer in college (Marquette University) when she was Nancy McCarthy. I moved to southern CA after college and we were best friends. I met my former husband through her and her former boyfriend. I remember spending Christmas together when I live outside of LA. I was maid of honor in her wedding. She was supposed to be in my wedding too but was not able to attend. When we lived in NJ and she lived in Washington DC we would come down and stay at her house. In fact, she was God Mother to my younger son Marcus. We lost touch over the years and at times I tried to find her. I only found her now, but too late. If her daughter ever wants to connect I am here for her. I am an old neuro nurse and cared for ALS patients so I understand the disease and its consequences. I am sad but know that Jennifer is comfortable, at peace, with God, and not far from our hearts.