Jennifer Mckenzie-Flynn

Jennifer McKenzie-Flynn died on Thursday, October 17, 2019, surrounded by her family in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. She was born August 21, 1945, in Milwaukee. Jennifer's favorite childhood memories were during the time she spent living with her grandparents, Walter and Emma Raasch, in West Allis on 76th and Greenfield. She would look forward to greeting her grandfather on the corner every day on his way back from the foundry, so she could hold his hand and carry his lunchbucket, which always had a candybar inside for her on paydays. She fondly remembered her grandmother as always being busy in the kitchen around the pot belly stove and burying her face in her apron for comfort.

Jennifer took great pride in her work ethic. After graduating from Samuel Ayer High School in Milpitas, California, she moved back to Wisconsin and worked as a stenographer. Inspired by President Kennedy's call to service, she volunteered for local political campaigns, and eventually attended the mass organization meetings of Wisconsin civil rights leader, Father James Groppi. While carrying her daughter in her arms, she joined him in protesting welfare cuts and taking over the Assembly chambers in the Capitol.

In 1977, Jennifer began her professional political career when she joined the staff of State Senator Carl Thompson. She successfully managed his reelection and other local and statewide campaigns, often bringing her kids along to volunteer. Her kids loved watching her work and strategize in her offices in the Capitol, countless campaign headquarters, as well as state and national Democratic Party events. She was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Banking in 1984. The pinnacle of her political career was as the Staff and Legislative Director for Congressman Jerry Kleczka in his DC office.

While she found her career very rewarding, she still longed to fulfill her dream of a college education. So she earned a BS in Business Management from Edgewood College in 1992, completing the coursework in 3.5 years and graduating cum laude while working more than full-time as the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Jennifer often said the biggest lesson she learned in life was that it doesn't matter how much money you make, but how happy you are. The work that brought her the most personal fulfillment was as Director of Advancement and Public Affairs for the College of Letters and Science at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Jennifer personally recruited top students from throughout the state to apply for the New Directions Scholarship. She cherished getting to know the recipients each year and supporting them through their journeys. She also secured an unprecedented pledge of $2 million to renovate the historic Greene Museum, which had fallen into disrepair. Jennifer planned to establish it as the new home for the Sam and Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies. A massive stroke in 2008 prevented her from seeing the project through to completion. Her colleagues, in particular Julie Carlson, endeavored to preserve Jennifer's original vision and keep her informed of the progress until it was finally realized.

Of all the places she lived, on both coasts, Texas, and all over the state of Wisconsin, by far Jennifer's favorite place to be was on her Catalina sailboat, Anam Chairde, in the middle of Lake Michigan with her beloved husband, Jim, and faithful Corgi, Jingle. She made the simple moments magical for her young granddaughters, digging up worms to go fishing and establishing secret J-Girl meeting places. She would gently encourage the girls to be curious and explore.

Jennifer died at 74 and is celebrated by her survivors: the love of her life, Jim Flynn; her favorite daughter Stephanie Bartelt and her son from another mother, Matt Guillory; her other favorite daughter, Jessica Bartelt; two brilliant and beautiful granddaughters, Jenna and Jada Davis; and countless dear friends and former colleagues.

We are very grateful to the devoted caregivers and staff of Hyland Crossings, and for the care and support from the entire team from Heartland Hospice Care.

A memorial gathering will be scheduled around her birthday next year. In the meantime, her family asks you to remember to vote, and in lieu of flowers, please consider a Memorial Gift in Jennifer's name to the UWM Foundation and directed to the L&S New Directions Scholarship. You can mail a check to: Christina Makal McCaffery, UWM Development Office, PO Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413. If you wish to do this online, go to https://givetouwm.uwmfdn.org/
and select College of Letters & Science, then New Directions, and clearly indicate that the gift is in memory of Jennifer McKenzie-Flynn.

If you would like to be on the mailing list to be informed of the memorial gathering, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/2CdN1eXV8T2h1bC18

Please share your memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com




Cress Funeral Home
1310 Emerald Terrace
Sun Prairie, WI
608-837-9054