Jacquelyn M. Wavrunek

Jacquelyn M. Wavrunek, age 75 years, died peacefully on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at Foothill Acres Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey.

Jackie was predeceased by her husband of 35 years, John Richard Wavrunek, who passed on December 3, 2019 after a brave fight against ALS.  Together, they resided in Chicago, Illinois and retired to Fairhope, Alabama.  Jackie was born in Georgia on July 26, 1944, and raised in Beloit, Wisconsin.  She also formerly lived in Gladstone, Missouri, Nappanee, Indiana, and Richardson, Texas.  She moved to New Jersey in 2019 to receive care closer to her daughter.

Jackie was creative artist in every sense of the word, and consistently brought elegance, whimsy, and depth to her artwork, homes, gardens, and fashions.  Her preferred medium was putting pen and pencil to paper to create beautiful full-color or black and white illustrations for books, newspapers, and decorative art. She began her career at a young age working in graphic design for a newspaper and working her way to owning her own graphic design business where she worked in nation-wide advertising sales, creative copy-writing, web design, and multi-project art direction. When Jackie set her creative mind to something, there was not much she was unable to accomplish.

Jackie volunteered her artistic abilities to support causes for which she deeply cared.  She provided business and fundraising art work and production for many animal rescue foundations.  She dedicated years to being on the Board of the Fly Creek Preservation Association, in Fairhope, Alabama, which sought to protect and repair damage to Fly Creek resulting from development.  Many other charitable causes received the benefit of her artistic and business talents. When she wasn’t working on these efforts, Jackie was an avid gardener and reader.  She and Rick also enjoyed Rick’s gourmet home-cooked food served to family and friends in their own beautifully created spaces.

Jackie is the daughter of the late Robert and Helen Lane Ritter. Surviving are her daughter, Nicole Lane Voigt; her son Chad Voigt and his wife, Tonya; grandchildren, Sean and Wyatt Jaeger and Scott and Genevieve Voigt; a brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Diana Ritter; a sister and brother-in-law, Roberta and William Murphy; her first husband, Arthur V. Voigt, several extended family around the country; and many dear friends who will miss her.

In the time of COVID-19, Jackie’s remembrances will remain simple and safe. Jackie was cremated under the care and direction of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ. Please visit Jackie’s permanent memorial site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a memorial candle, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of her life.

It is only natural that donations be made in her honor to an animal rescue foundation.  Despite the many rescue foundations that Jackie cared about over the decades, it is with ease that we select the Stray Love Foundation of Magnolia Springs, Alabama. As Jackie declined of dementia and Rick declined of ALS, it was necessary to find new homes for Jackie’s two, beloved cats.  The Stray Love Foundation coordinated veterinary appointments and found vetted, loving new homes for both of Jackie’s cats, devoting many hours of time to assist during a difficult time.  Donations may be made at: https://straylovefoundation.org.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”