Jennifer Ingrid Elizabeth McKell, born on the 5th of September 1946, passed away on the 23rd of March, 2023. She was a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago and grew up in the area of St. Augustine before moving to the United States. She was the cherished second child of Dorothy Ortiz and beloved sister of Suzanne Amy Ann Julien. She was the ex-wife of Ken McKell (deceased).

Jennifer attended Fatima R.C. Primary School before continuing her education at St. Joseph's Convent in St. Joseph in Trinidad.

She lived a full life, spending most of her adult years in Washington D.C, living in Dupont Circle. Her career started in Trinidad working in the airport however her career continued in the United States, Jennifer worked with the Embassy of Trinidad and Tobago,  the Embassy of Nigeria and the Embassy of Rwanda to name a few,  leaving a lasting impact and close friendships with those she worked with.

She had a deep appreciation for the arts, nature, finding solace in the beauty of flowers, music, museums and literature. She loved to spend her days biking along the Potomac River or enjoying a relaxing picnic in nature. Jennifer was also an exceptional cook, delighting in preparing both Caribbean and international gourmet cuisines.

She was a beacon of kindness and generosity, always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. She was a person that many people felt drawn to, she had the warmth of an island girl with her loving and embracing personality. She was known to assist those who were down on their luck in life. Many persons having lived with her when life was difficult and she would make sure to care for each person as you would for family.  Her youthful spirit and playful nature brought joy to all who knew her, and her empathetic ear and words of comfort provided solace in times of distress to her many friends. Although this is true, she also had another side, she loved to be cantankerous and mischievous and was that way till the end of her life.

One amusing story that perfectly captures Jennifer's playful spirit happened during a luncheon gathering. Jennifer loved to have fun, and she was always up for a good laugh.

Her nephew Sean spent a year doing studies whilst staying with her in Washington DC. He recalls that one day he told her that he had some friends who wanted to visit. She loved to entertain so she told him to invite these three friends from Indiana over to her apartment for lunch. She cooked a very Trinidadian dish called "Pelau" (a mixture of peas, rice and meat all in one pot) to serve to them. Well these friends who were Caucasian Americans  came to the luncheon and they were very enthusiastic about trying this Caribbean dish. When they looked at the dish, they simply asked what was in the dish. The mischievous side of Jennifer immediately came out, she told them it was "Rice, peas and we also cut up local alligator and mix it into the dish!". Sean recalls the look of  horror on their faces when she mentioned the alligator. He said he smiled and went along with it. The guests started just twiddling with the food in their plates and not really eating after that. When she could not hold back the laughter she said to them " I cannot continue this any longer, fine... it is rice, peas and beef you have on your plate". He said there was a look of great relief and everyone started eating the sumptuous meal. They all had a good laugh.

Her sister, Suzanne reminisced  when they were very young, their mother baked a Christmas fruit cake to take to a friend's house. Suzanne said Jennifer wanted to eat the cake and was looking for company, and so she asked Suzanne to join her in her mischief. The cake was covered in an opaque cake dome and so you could not see it clearly unless you uncovered the dome. Jennifer took pieces off the edges every day of the cake and shared it with Suzanne. They both kept it up until only the center of the cake was left. When the day arrived to go visit the friend, fortunately, their mother realized when she picked up the cake it was very light and opened up the dome to see only a the center portion left. They both got discipline in "trini" style fashion and their mother was so upset she took what was left of the cake and threw it out in their yard. Suzanne recalls her sister saying, "Hey, we already got licks for this, why not enjoy the rest of the cake?" and Jennifer went downstairs into the yard and recovered the parts that did not touch the ground, and finished what she had started.

Jennifer will be deeply missed by her beloved sister, Suzanne Julien, her nephews Sean and Allan Julien and family, and her niece Sabrina Julien-Budhram, as well as by all her friends from near and far and those whose lives she touched with her generosity, warmth and kindness. Her legacy of love and compassion will live on forever in the hearts of those who knew her.