Obituary of Jennifer Lynne Strack (Osborne)

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear Jennifer Strack, affectionately known as "Jen" to her many friends and family. Jennifer was born on December 12, 1971 in Chatham, Ontario and entered God's Kingdom on November 23, 2016 at the Cascade Hospice in Chilliwack, BC after a lengthy and courageous battle with cancer. Jennifer is survived by her parents, Ken and Caroline Osborne of Kent Bridge, Ontario; her husband, Michael of Chilliwack, BC; children Stephen and Emma of Toronto; brother Jeremy and Amber, nieces Ryli, Paetyn and nephew Noah of Hamilton, ON. Jennifer leaves behind her great grandmother, Olive (Ward, Beaton) Osborne of Ridgetown, ON; her in-laws, George and Margaret Strack of Waterloo, ON; sister-in-law Christine Strack of Toronto; brother-in-law Peter Strack and Family of London along with many aunts, uncles and cousins. She will be greatly missed by her many friends of MountainView Church in Chilliwack, BC and dearest friends in Ontario. Baxter, her little Yorkie, was her constant companion and comfort. He will miss the daily walks around the Duck Pond and along the Vedder River Trail. Jennifer is predeceased by her grandparents, Nathan and Neva Smith of Blenheim; Calvin and Nancy Osborne of Ridgetown; Henry and Emma Strack; Gordon and Dorothy Steinke of Waterloo, ON. Jennifer grew up in Chatham-Kent, attending McNaughton Avenue Public School, Chatham Collegiate Institute, John McGregor Secondary School and St. Clair College where she met many of her closest friends. She also attended McMaster University in St. Catherines, Ontario. During High School, Jennifer participated in the Rotary French Exchange Program, spending three months in Rimouski, Quebec where she learned to speak fluently in French and became an avid skier. Jennifer was an accomplished academic in technology, an athlete, teacher and business woman. Her passions were reading her Bible while sitting on a bench by the Vedder River, playing baseball with her 'little' brother, performing in competitive gymnastics, going camping with her family on vacations and with her friends, camp counseling at the United Church Kenesserie Camp, swimming and lifeguarding and hiking trails in B.C. Her collections of shoes, purses and jewellery are evidence of many hours in Shopping Malls. Jennifer loved family celebrations especially birthdays of others, picnics and BBQ's. Her pride and joy was playing in the leaves or snow with her nieces, Ryli and Paetyn and reading stories to nephew, Noah. Her favourite dish for a pot luck was the 'Watergate Salad'. She learned to play the piano and organ and was confident enough to accept invitations for weddings as well as being a member of the worship team at MountainView Church. She was a compassionate and active leader in the work of the church, voicing her opinions with intellect and conviction. Her greatest accomplishment was how deeply she touched the lives of others. Employment opportunities included Richardson Access, London; Moore Business Forms, London; Aylmer Express, Aylmer, Ontario where she met many of her cherished friends and colleagues. In 2007 Jen and Mike moved to Vancouver where she was employed at R.R. Donnelly and later at Deloitte. In the spring of 2013 changes in employment took them to Old World Kitchens and Cabinetry in Chilliwack where Jennifer worked for a few months until her diagnosis. Wherever she worked, she brought her enthusiasm for life and a genuine devotion to do the best job possible. During this time she met many dear friends who will always remember her beautiful smile. She became an inspiration to each and every one. Jennifer always had a sincere concern and care for others especially during the past three-year journey of cancer diagnosis, treatments and decision-making. Her approach was always with determination and a sense of humour, truly an inspiration to all. She accepted an invitation as spokesperson to a media event when the B.C. government donated $3 million to the B.C. Cancer Agency to support the POG (Personalized Onco-Genomics) research program, providing hope and optimism for healing treatments. She was also a guest speaker at a charity dinner to raise funds for the support of the POG program. Jennifer willingly participated in a documentary called "The Nature of Things", a David Suzuki production to be aired on February 23, 2017. Jennifer took part in many fundraising events, walks, runs and even shaved her head twice for the benefit of others facing the challenge of this disease. She will always be our ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, our inspiration and our angel whom we will cherish in our hearts forever. We greatly acknowledge Jennifer's special doctors who provide the best of treatment and compassionate care: Dr. Janessa Laskin, Dr. Philip Balcaen, Dr. Erin Lynch and Dr. Andrew Lee. Special thanks to the nurses, staff and volunteers of Chilliwack Hospital and the Cascade Hospice for their loving care and professionalism. Visitation was held at Woodlawn Mt. Cheam Funeral Home, 45865 Hocking Ave., Chilliwack, BC on Saturday, November 26, 2016 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. A Celebration of Life Service was celebrated on Sunday, November 27, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at the Woodlawn Mt. Cheam Funeral Home. Cremation followed. Memorial Visitation will take place at McKinlay Funeral Home, 141 Park Street, Blenheim, Ontario on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. A Memorial Service for Jennifer will be held on Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at the Thamesville United Church, 107 Elizabeth Street, Thamesville, Ontario. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery, Blenheim, Ontario. Online condolences may be left at www.mckinlayfuneralhome.com. Charitable donations to Jen's favourite organizations may be considered: Mountainview Church Office, 7476 Vedder Rd. Sardis, BC V2R 4E7 BC Cancer Agency, ATTN: The POG program, Suite 150-686 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1G1 Thamesville United Church, 107 Elizabeth Street, Thamesville, Ontario N0P 2K0. <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/194559025" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/194559025">Jennifer Lynne Strack</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user27484248">McKinlay Funeral Homes Ltd.</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>