Obituary of Jennifer Sansale

Jennifer (Jenny) Sansale

Age 49, passed away peacefully in the loving embrace of her parents, Paul and Lynn, and brothers, Adam and Casey, on Sunday, Sept 8.

Jenny was a blessing from God. She constantly taught all of us the importance of love, kindness, and grace. Her caring, sweet nature will be missed by all those who knew her. Jenny will be remembered most for her joy and happiness. Though she couldn’t speak, she would communicate her warmth in spirit with her big hugs and kisses. People always mention how sweet she was as a person and how her smile and giggles were so infectious to those who cared for her. She was never one to shy away from showing affection to those around her who loved her. Jenny is also known for being brave and tough through the many burdens she faced in her life. She hardly ever complained and showed such resiliency to any hardship she encountered, through difficult surgeries, procedures she endured, and illnesses she faced later in life. No matter the difficulty, she faced it with grace, humility, and determination that was above and beyond.

Jenny loved music and it was always part of her life. From playing guitar or maracas to playing beats with her “twos,” to singing or humming tunes with her family, she always enjoyed music and listened to it as often as she could. She loved going out into the world, being part of nature or just enjoying the world around her at a mall or on a walk. She adored being around dogs, petting them, getting “kisses” and most especially having the family dogs lie at her feet or on her lap.

She will also be remembered for being a part of the first group of disabled teens to integrate into the classrooms in Hastings in the 80s thanks to the work of several great trailblazing administrators and the parents inspired by MN Partners in Policymaking. There, Jenny inspired many non-disabled peers around her, who later became her friends, some going on to work in disability services.

Jenny was survived by her parents, Paul and Lynn, and her two brothers, Adam and Casey. The family is thankful for a lifetime of support from Gillette Hospital and its staff, specifically their doctors, nurses, specialists, and most recently, PT Laura B., Dr. Tori Bahr, and its Complex Care Team there. Her family would also like to give their heartfelt thanks to all the doctors, nurses, and support care specialists and teams at Regions Hospital, who not only showed love and care in their treatment over the past few years but did it with dignity and respect for Jenny.

Jenny’s family also wants to thank ACR Homes, who gave her a wonderful and loving place to call home for over 20 years. After losing this home due to the pandemic, Jenny had a very difficult year until she started a daily program through Merrick, Inc. at their site on Willow

Blvd. These exceptional and affectionate folks helped Jenny find her smile and giggle again and for that, her family will be forever grateful. It’s also very important for her family to thank Jenny’s good friends Nick, Lydia, and Amanda.

A memorial service is being planned for Jenny. Please contact the family for details. In Lieu of flowers, donations, if desired, can be made to Merrick, Inc. in her honor and memory.

---

Adam Sansale’s Facebook Post about his sister Jenny, September 16, 2024

I’ve put off sharing this post, as it’s been a really hard week. Last Sunday, we lost my sister, Jenny, to the angels. She passed away peacefully in the loving embrace of my parents, my brother, and me. Jenny had battled pneumonias off and on for the past couple years and this latest one was just too much, even for my sister (who is the toughest person I’ve ever known).

I’ll always remember such happy memories with Jenny. The birthday parties as kids in the backyard in the kiddy pool in the middle of hot summer days; laughing with her while running and pushing her in her wheelchair in between doctor appointments or meetings at her school; or enjoying time just cuddling on the couch or on the front porch swing at home. She really made me remember the importance and joy of the simple things that matter: just being around the ones you love, enjoying good food, being out and about in nature and feeling the breeze on your face, or just laughing at being tickled by the family dog’s kisses. Jenny always was just warmth and happiness personified, a bundle of joy every time I saw her. She would always light up when she saw me, and her smiles would get me in a better mood each time we were together. As others have told me this past week, she was just such a sweet person, and that is so true. Everything she did was with a kindness and sweetness, from a truly honest place. I admired her for that and that warmth of personality was infectious to all those who interacted with her.

She loved music. Every time we were together, she was doing something musical: banging her “twos” together (usually a pair of plastic bats or plastic batons) in some rhythm, humming a song, strumming her guitar, or listening to her favorite tunes. She really enjoyed it when we would join in, singing along with her (bringing words to her humming) or banging in rhythm with her. That brought out the giggles and laughing, and it was infectious. Again, these simple but happy things that brought joy – that’s what Jenny was all about.

While I’ll always miss these things and more, and being with Jenny, I know she’s in a better place now in heaven. No more pneumonias, no more painful procedures, no more frustrating trips to the ER – something that had become very common the past few years for Jenny. I picture her now in her favorite place, finally free from the shackles of her wheelchair - running, jumping, and spinning around for the first time. I hear her talking for the first time to my grandparents, not being held back by the physical limitations her cerebral palsy placed on her body for all those years. She is asking kindly to play some angel’s harp and sing out loud for the first time with a big ol smile on her face. I can just see it – and am happy for her.

But, I’ll still miss you, though, Jenny, and will always love you. And I'll always be thankful for the time we had together. You were the best big sister.