KROLL, JENNIFER

Jennifer Lee Kroll of Hamden, CT died Saturday, May 9, 2020, at 52 years of age, after a prolonged battle with metastatic breast cancer. Born in August of 1967, she was the daughter of Louis and JoEllen Kroll of Silver Lake, WI. Jennifer was a prolific author, whose published work includes over 30 books, including fiction, poems, plays, and nonfiction. Jennifer graduated from Wilmot High School and subsequently received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame’s Program of Liberal Studies, her Masters in Teaching Degree from Boston College, and her doctoral degree from Auburn University. The focus of her doctorate was English, with a concentration in comparative mythology and folklore. For many years, she was a Senior Editor for Weekly Reader’s Read magazine, a young adult literary classroom magazine with a national circulation. She also worked as a language arts tutor, a writing and literature teacher, and a freelance writer. Jennifer received multiple honors and awards for her published work, including the 2017 Association of American Publishers’ REVERE Award, the 2012 Storytelling World Resource Award for her folktale collection “Wings and Tales”, and the 2003 Association of Educational Publishers Distinguished Achievement Award. Jennifer was a creative and inspired author and a devoted wife and mother, who had a wry sense of humor and was a fan of the Oxford comma and Swedish detective movies. She loved exploring the natural world, gardening, and photography, and these interests informed many of her published works, including her Star Stories series (www.giantskybooks. com). Jennifer leaves behind her husband, Carl James of Hamden, CT, their children, Owen and Charlotte, her parents Louis and JoEllen, her sister, Kristen of St. Louis, MO, and many aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Silent Spring Institute, a leading scientific research organization dedicated to uncovering the links between chemicals in our everyday environment and women’s health, with a focus on breast cancer prevention. Jennifer was a regular attendee of St. Rita’s Church in Hamden. Due to current world health circumstances, a memorial service honoring Jennifer’s life is planned for later this year, with the date to be announced in the future. This memorial service will be held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic church in Twin Lakes, WI.