Jennifer McCarthy

Jennifer L. McCarthy, beloved daughter, mother and friend, slipped away peacefully and unexpectedly on July 3, 2026, in Dunedin, Fla. Through her 64-year journey, she touched many lives with her fearless, fun-loving, gentle spirit and warm humor.

She was born on May 26, 1962, in Fort Madison, Iowa, to Paul and Janice McCarthy. At age 5, she moved with her parents to Pekin, Ill., Marigold Capital of the World. She loved its small-town charm, the community and was passionate about Monical’s Pizza. Jennifer graduated from Pekin Community High School in 1980, and went on to study at Illinois Central College. She began her career in the banking business in Pekin, working at Herget Bank. Later, she moved to Kansas City and continued her work in banking there. She also studied American Sign Language during that time, a skill she mastered. (And though she enjoyed her work in the banking industry, at the end of the day, all she ever really wanted to be was a Dallas Cowboys’ cheerleader.)

Jennifer met her husband, Ken Jurgensmeyer, in Kansas and they married in September 1990. Together, they raised three children—Jonathan, Emiley and Eric—moving numerous times across the country, living in Arkansas, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. Being a full-time mom brought her great joy. She loved to cook and believed in proper family meals, and took great pleasure in making her children’s favorites, spaghetti and tacos.

Always up for an adventure, Jennifer loved to travel, exploring Europe from the cobblestone streets of Paris to the Sistine Chapel and Vatican in Italy to the countryside and castles of Germany. Fiercely proud of her Irish roots, she traveled to Ireland with family and friends and kissed The Blarney Stone, which according to folklore, endows the kisser with the ability to speak with eloquence, charm and wit.

As much as she enjoyed travel and adventure, Jennifer enjoyed life’s simple pleasures and retreating at times to recharge. She loved taking long walks on the beach; sipping a crisp Chardonnay or a smooth, light whiskey; spending time with her beloved dog, Annie; and binge-watching old Friends and Seinfeld episodes with her kids. Making Rotel dip and watching the Miss America Pageants was a family tradition for years.

Jennifer was also a voracious reader, appreciating a wide range of genres. One of her favorite books was “Gone with The Wind” by Margaret Mitchell (1939). The line, “After all, tomorrow is another day,” spoken by Scarlett O’Hara, served as a personal mantra and a reminder that a new day provides a fresh start when she endured her own struggles and sorrows.

In 2011, Jennifer began a new chapter in her life, moving to Florida, and eventually settling in Dunedin, her adopted hometown. She worked as a caretaker at Kimberly Home in Clearwater and as an attendant at Loyless Funeral Homes in Tampa.

In addition to her father, Paul McCarthy, she was preceded in death by her eldest son, Jonathan Jurgensmeyer.
She is survived by her mother, Janice McCarthy Schleder and stepfather, Dale Schleder; two children, Emiley and Eric Jurgensmeyer, who both live in the Tampa Bay Area; and her ex-husband, Ken Jurgensmeyer, and his wife, Gail, who live in Saint Charles, Mo.

A memorial service celebrating Jennifer’s life will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Old Catholic Church in Dunedin on Thursday, July 9, at 10 a.m. The family invites all who knew and loved her to join them.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to gift a book to a child—or a school—to pay tribute to Jennifer’s lifelong passion of learning and reading.