On October 13, 2023,
Jennifer Ann Kramer died in Montpelier, Vt., following a two-year
battle with metastatic breast cancer. She died at home, surrounded by
those she loved and who loved her.
Jennifer was
born in New York City on August 10, 1954, the daughter of Jay O.
Kramer, a senior partner with Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hayes &
Handler in New York, and Nancy H. Kramer. As a child, Jennifer
demonstrated the passions that would sustain her throughout her life:
a love of travel, people, the environment and, of course, dogs.
Jennifer felt equally drawn by the sophistication of city life and
the inspirational power of nature. She was the consummate city and
country mouse.
She graduated
from Greenwich Academy in Greenwich, Conn., in 1972 and from the
University of Colorado Boulder in 1976. Following her graduation,
Jennifer moved to New York City, working first as an account
executive for the BBDO advertising agency and later as travel editor
for Town & Country magazine, where she was known for her
ability to find and feature lesser-known destinations and experiences
around the world that would appeal to the magazine’s sophisticated
readership.
In the early
1990s, Jennifer moved from New York to Charlottesville to become a
freelance journalist, publishing articles for Town & Country,
Travel + Leisure, Architectural Digest, and Southern
Accents magazines. While in Charlottesville, she made a
life-changing decision. She enrolled at Antioch University New
England in Keene, N.H., and in 2004 earned a master’s degree in
environmental studies and sustainability. It was then that Jen’s
life came to full fruition. She joined the Vermont chapter of the
Nature Conservancy in Montpelier as director of philanthropy and
helped conserve thousands of forested acres that are now permanently
available to all Vermonters. Jennifer had a special ability to make
connections and build community. She forged a shared commitment to
protect Vermont’s lands and waters that has left an indelible imprint
on the Nature Conservancy and secured conservation funding for
generations to come. Jennifer also served on the board for the
Central Vermont Humane Society and was a member of Central Vermont
Refugee Action Network. In Montpelier, Jennifer also met her longtime
partner, future spouse and true love, Paul Keating, whom she married
on October 1, 2022.
Jennifer faced
her diagnosis of stage IV breast cancer with honesty and bravery. Her
tears quickly gave way to the joys that remained in every day,
exploring the outdoors, building a cabin with her husband, enjoying
her family and spending as much time as possible with the many
devoted friends she had gathered throughout her life. Jennifer’s
love of people, her open mind and her passionate commitments are
lasting gifts to all who knew her. She is survived by her husband,
Paul Keating; her stepchildren, Alyssa Moseman, her husband, Wes, and
their daughter, Kinsley, and Myles Keating and his wife, Calina; and
her devoted Josie, the black mouth cur she rescued as a puppy and
saved as an adult. She is also survived by her brother Terry Hannock,
his wife, Pam, and their two children, Rebecca and Brooks, as well as
her brother John, his wife, Ruie, and their two children, Madeleine
and Jay.
Donations in
Jennifer’s memory can be made to the Nature Conservancy Vermont Chapter or to the Central Vermont Humane Society in Montpelier, Vt.
This article appears in The Reading Issue 2023.