Jennifer Lee Stacey |
| Posted 2021-12-24 by mhenderson |
| Published by The Miner on Dec. 22, 2021 - Kingman, Arizona - The world has lost one of the Greatest Souls to ever grace the planet and things will never be the same. Our daughter, sister, niece and aunt, Jennifer Lee Stacey, Kingman, Arizona resident and former resident of Wellston, Ohio who was the very special daughter of James P. Stacey and stepmother (Linda Stacey), mother Dinah Lee Dixon-Lipskin and stepfather Mike Lipskin, unexpectedly earned her Angel Wings and exited this Earth to be with her loved ones who were, no doubt, waiting for her with open arms in Heaven. Sweet Jenny Lee quickly became very sick with COVID-19 related pneumonia and succumbed to her illness in the ICU in Kingman Regional Medical Center on the afternoon of Dec. 4, 2021. Needless to say, this has come as an unbelievable tragic shock to her parents, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and friends because before becoming ill, she had been in PERFECT HEALTH and did not suffer with any other illnesses. She so loved her brothers Dylan and Cameron and her niece. They, too, are overwhelmed with grief with this sudden and very sad loss. Jennifer “Jenny” was born in the old Chillicothe Hospital (before it was called Adena Hospital) in Chillicothe, Ohio on Nov. 30, 1973. She resided in Wellston, Ohio with her parents until 1980 and then moved to the Great Southwest of Kingman, Arizona. She had been the cutest little three pound baby girl that Wellston, Ohio had ever seen, having been born two months premature, but she was oh, so healthy even then. She was diagnosed with Down syndrome immediately after she was born, but that never held her back. She could recite the Pledge of Allegiance and the Alphabet by age 3 and at the same time, she also knew the entire American Sign Language Alphabet accurately. Other than having her tonsils removed at age 8, she had never really been “sick” a day in her life except for the usual childhood illnesses, hence the reason her inability to fight this virus and her subsequent passing has come as such a shock to all of us. She loved to sing and dance and by age 6, she was entertaining crowds at parties in Wellston, Ohio singing songs by Willie Nelson like “Will the Circle be Unbroken” and Waylon Jennings and Paul McCartney tunes. Yes, she knew all the lyrics. In her sixth year, she moved with her parents to Kingman, Arizona in April 1980. She attended The Little Red Schoolhouse and met so many good friends there and also joined The Special Olympics, where she participated in Track and Field, Bowling and Snow Skiing. So many times she came home with her medals and had her photo in the newspaper which was the highlight of her day. Everyone knew Jenny Stacey and in turn, she knew everyone. Jenny never knew a stranger and once she met you, she never forgot you either. She later attended Hualapai Elementary School the first year that it opened. She excelled in communication, singing and dancing, and reading, much to the joy and amazement of the entire school staff. From there, she attended Kingman Junior High School with Mrs. Ferry, who prepared her for attending Kingman High School special classes where she graduated with her diploma. Our Jenny continued Special Olympics for some time and thoroughly enjoyed her time participating in the games throughout the years. After high school graduation, she preferred to stay at home with her parents and even became a good caretaker of her younger brothers that followed a few years later. There was 10 years between she and her brother Dylan and 15 years between she and her baby brother Cameron. She was so helpful in helping her parents care for the babies by fixing bottles and even changing diapers and giving them baths. She loved them so and was so able to care for them when Mom was cooking dinner. As years passed she spent time back in her hometown of Wellston, Ohio with her father and her beloved grandparents Peggy and Dave McManus, who cherished her so much, and Jenny loved being there for them as well and helped them in their time of declining health just by being there for emotional support. She certainly was our version of Special Needs Florence Nightingale, helping in any way she could to comfort those who were not feeling well, even if it was just keeping them company. She loved country music and was always in attendance at jam sessions in and around Jackson County, Ohio with her father and other local musicians, who were always gracious and glad to have her come on stage and take the microphone and begin singing one of her most favorite tunes, Delta Dawn, as well as many others. She became a part of the local jam sessions and all in attendance were so happy to have her sit in and sing. Yes, she was famous in that circle of Jackson County musicians. A few years ago, she returned to Kingman to live with her mother and stepfather. She also was known by so many people around Kingman. When in Kingman, she attended many local concerts of the great Chris Commisso, who was her favorite local singer/songwriter. She was, of course, at his most recent Halloween concert and was his biggest fan. She even liked old jazz songs that her mother and stepfather played and had begun updating her knowledge of jazz tunes and would ask to hear them frequently when her mom and stepfather rehearsed and she even attended their concerts and recording sessions in Kingman and in San Francisco. She will always be remembered as THE MOST KIND, SWEET AND CARING PERSON EVER to grace the planet Earth. She was happy with the simple things in life. She spent lots of days listening to her favorite music, shopping with Mommy, loved coloring in her big coloring books and playing solitaire with her many decks of cards. When smart phones came into being, she quickly learned the technology, making a Social Media page and was followed by many and found so much joy in communicating with all of her friends and she made new friends almost daily. She was always inquisitive about everything happening in today’s world and much she did not understand. But she loved traveling vicariously virtually by cellphone to new places around the world and so enjoyed looking at other’s photos and comments about their latest adventures, wishing them safe travels. She was quick to say that certain statements that people posted on Social Media were not very nice and that she did not act that way because she wanted everyone to be NICE TO EACH OTHER and never wanted to hurt anybody’s feelings. If only everyone on the planet could “Be a Jenny Lee,” to forgive often and be nice to each other. It would be a wonderful world. Jenny was preceded in death by her Paternal Grandmother Peggy Stacey- McManus and Step-Grandfather, Dave McManus of Hamden, Ohio, whom she loved so very dearly. Also, her paternal Uncles Timothy Stacey and Kimber Stacey; and Great-Grandmother Goldie Weimer, all from Wellston. Also, on her maternal side, her Grandfather and Grandmother, Robert W. Dixon, Sr. and Emaline Walker- Dixon. She had such a special relationship with them and especially her very special and beloved Uncle Bob Dixon who resided in Wellston and Jackson, Ohio for many years, but he, too ,had moved to Kingman; and Great-Grandparents John Herbert Walker and Helen Walker, all formerly of Wellston, Ohio. Somehow, most of us ended up out west, here in Kingman, Arizona and decided to stay in this sweet little town. Those loved ones of Jenny’s who now remain Earthbound include her Father and Mother James P. Stacey and Dinah Dixon-Lipskin; as well as her brothers Dylan James Stacey and Cameron Colton Stacey; Aunt Jenny (Dixon) and Uncle Mike Dorman; Aunt Debbie and Greg Dixon; and her cousins Ben Dixon, Nathanael and Ayla Dixon, Emily Dixon-Chilson and Ryan Chilson; Conrad and Mandy Stacey-Harris, Rich and Tammy Henry- Wires, who live in Ohio, and her very special local friends Raycene Osterman and Jeramy Valentine, and Nancy Shepherd and Brenda Truesdell. Please know she often spoke of you and how much you meant to her. At this time, no formal service is scheduled. However, a Celebration of Life will be arranged in the near future, depending on weather. There are a lot of family members that live 2,000 miles away. In lieu of flowers, if you so choose, you could make a donation in her name to your nearest no kill animal shelter, as Jenny Lee loved animals and also to your local chapter of Special Olympics, but only if you are able to do so. She would really like that. The location of her Celebration of Life will be held at my home (Mother) here in Kingman, Arizona at 3705 Packsaddle Road, 86401, and will be announced in enough time for friends and family to make arrangements to attend. Thank you to Sutton Memorial Funeral Home, Frank and Linda Sutton, for making this difficult time much easier. Also, thank you to each and every one of Jenny’s friends, social media friends and all family for praying for peace and comfort for this most special human being to ever grace this planet we know as our home, Earth, and imagine her soaring the universe with all of her loved ones surrounding her. |
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