Jennifer Margaret Handley Chiarello, age 36 years, of Mountainside, NJ, died suddenly on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at St. Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, NJ.

Born on December 17, 1984 in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, she was the daughter of Dave and Jean LaBerge Handley.  She was raised throughout the Kawartha Lakes by her parents and loving nana, Anna LaBerge.

After graduating from high school in 2003, Jen completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration at Trent University (Peterborough, ON).  While there, she was also an active member in her sorority (Alpha Omicron Pi), and ultimately became the Chapter President.  As someone who always pushed herself to greater things, Jen went on to obtain her MBA with a specialization in finance and marketing at Ryerson University (Toronto, ON), where she was the recipient of the Ted Rogers School of Management Scholarship.

Armed to the teeth with knowledge and an insatiable desire for success, Jen began her professional career at TD Bank’s headquarters in Toronto, ON.  Her marketing and product expertise led them to fulfill one of Jen’s many ambitions – moving to the United States.  In October of 2011, Jen packed her bags and moved to Greenville, SC to take on a significant role on the Checking Product team.  While she loved her work, she soon decided to move to Charlotte, NC.  She made countless friends there from playing rec. league kickball, common areas at her apartment, going to Panthers games, and by just being an energetic, fun person.

One weekend, Jen decided to go to an outdoor festival in the Epicenter, located in Uptown Charlotte.  While she was there, she happened to meet a young visitor from New Jersey, who was just looking for a change of scenary from the New York/New Jersey area.  They only spoke for a few minutes, but kept contact occasionally via Facebook, and met one other time while he was in Charlotte on a business trip.  Several years and 3 moves later (Philadelphia, PA, New Brunswick, NJ, and Hoboken, NJ), that person became her husband, Frank Chiarello.  They frequently wondered how on earth they could have even met, given their completely divergent lives, but knew very quickly that they were meant to be together. Frank and Jen were engaged on New Years Day, 1/1/2016, and were married at Liberty House in Jersey City on June 24, 2017.  After getting married, they moved to Montclair, NJ, but ultimately found their home in Mountainside, NJ.  Their most treasured next step came on October 12, 2021, when Jen and Frank welcomed Giovanna Alma Chiarello into their arms.  They loved each other incredibly, but Giovanna’s arrival made their family complete.

Jen had a wide range of hobbies and interests.  As a little girl, she was a competitive figure skater, and won many province-wide competitions over the years.  She loved fashion; both designer and casual.  To her, being well dressed and put together was not an option; it was simply the way she had to be.  Even sitting around the house, her outfits matched seamlessly, and she would have a story as to why she bought each piece.  While she loved finding things for herself, nothing gave her greater joy than finding gifts for her friends and family.  A thoughtful and savvy shopper, Jen never needed gift lists – she always had an eye open for gifts that a family member or friend would love, and would pounce on the opportunity to buy it whenever she could.  She just couldn’t miss the opportunity to make someone happy.  She also developed a refined palette for fine wine, and could tell you every last note after just the first sip.

While she moved frequently, she traveled for vacation on a fairly selective basis.  She absolutely loved Disney World for the food and amusement park, but also because it reminded her of her late Grandmother Alma Handley who owned an orange grove just outside of Orlando.  Jen fondly recounted her trips to see “the grove” and spend time with her family, enjoying the simple taste of fresh fruit and the warmth of Florida.  Jen’s other happy places were Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON, Toronto, ON, Napa, CA.  When she stayed local though, nothing made her happier than a patio or rooftop on a warm day –  a view of the New York City skyline would be the icing on the cake.

Jen was taken from us far too soon, but lives on through fond memories of time spent with her friends and relatives, and through her beautiful daughter, Giovanna.  Jen, your friends and family love you so much more than you could ever know.  We know that you are smiling down on us as we reflect on all the amazing things that you did, and fun times that we had together.

Jen was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Anna and John LaBerge; her paternal grandparents, Alma and Maxford Handley; and an aunt, Wendy Handley.

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