Jennifer D. Hostetler's Obituary
Due to the current pandemic and CDC guidelines the memorial service for Jennifer will be private. Friends are encouraged to attend via webcasting on Saturday, June 20th at 2:00 pm (EST). It can be found under the Photo and Video tab and it will be listed under External Webcast File.
Jennifer (Jen, JenBug) Diane Russell Hostetler, 40, of Saint Petersburg, FL passed away on June 15, 2020 of complications from cardiac arrest.
Born on March 12, 1980 in El Paso, TX to Sherry White and David Russell, Jen grew up primarily in Rockville, MD. She received her BS from Texas A&M University and her MS from the University of Florida. Her nickname, “JenBug,” came from her lifelong passion for entomology, which she shared generously throughout her life and incorporated into her spectacular and striking tattoos. Although she had a particular interest in social insects (especially bees and ants), she loved all six-legged creatures. Jen followed her passion for the natural world and worked as an entomologist and research scientist. At the time of her death, she was a long-time study director, compliance officer, and chief of quality assurance at i2L Research USA, Inc. in Baltimore, MD.
Jen’s interests were wide ranging: in addition to her scientific work, she was passionate about music, especially the live metal and punk scene in Saint Petersburg. She owned an extensive collection of little-known Saint Petersburg band t-shirts, and she travelled widely to attend music festivals featuring the many groups she followed. Jen’s musical taste was diverse: while some of her favorite artists included Janelle Monae, The Coup, James Blake, Death Grips, Converge, Reality Asylum, Melvins, and Gogol Bordello, Jen also loved having impromptu YouTube parties featuring Macklemore music videos and Beyoncé’s “Homecoming.” Jen wrote and read short stories focusing on the macabre, and rabidly sought out obscure horror films - which she shared with unwitting friends at every opportunity. She loved craft beverages: whether sour beer, wine, or G&Ts made with homemade tonic, because “the store-bought stuff does not cut it,” her tastes were for small and local artisanal efforts. Jen and her husband Jeff adored gaming together, particularly obscure indie, strategy, and epic fantasy board games that took hours, or days, to finish; she invested time and effort into personalizing her games, with an unrivaled hand-painted Warhammer collection and customized storage boxes. She also loved trying out new vegan recipes with Jeff, proudly producing more successes than failures.
Jen survived three kidney transplants and was no stranger to enduring long days in a hospital ward, and her bravery was a pillar of strength to her friends and family. She never stopped smiling or cracking jokes. The glue who held together loyal friends and family, her heart was far bigger than her body, and she never hesitated to share her love, patience, guidance, generosity, and humor with people in her life. She was a truly authentic person, and perhaps in part, that came from living close to death all of her life.
Jen was a fierce ally and confidant who never judged a person by their appearance: she met new people with an open heart and mind, and once she made a friend, that person had her loyalty for life. Wherever she went, Jen made new friends. She valued integrity, contentment, empathy, adaptability, generosity, and presence; Jen embodied these qualities in her daily life, and her effort to live her values contributed to her special magic and luminescence. She enormous spirit was a huge presence in the lives of everyone lucky enough to know and love her.
Jen is survived by her beloved husband Jeffrey Hostetler and their adorable cat, Kitty (aka Ariel), of Saint Petersburg, FL. She also leaves behind her mother, Sherry White of Richmond, VA, sister Michaela Hyams (Bryan) of New York City, and brother Travis Hyams (Samantha) of Washington, DC; her father, David Russell (Helen) of Satellite Beach, FL, and brothers Steven Russell (Angel Renee) of Jacksonville, FL and Michael Russell (Abby) of Charlotte, NC; Aunts Karen (Don) Ruthig, Kirsten Russell, and Rebecca Russell, and Ricky White; several cousins; in-laws David and Cathy Hostetler, Janet (Anil) Hostetler, and many, many other loved ones including Alfred Thomson, Dave Crane, Mattie Segorski, Sarah Beck, Valerie Johnson, and Carolyn Schwedler.
To best remember Jen, crack open a beer with friends; play a board game; get sucked into watching endless YouTube videos; pop on a horror movie; or simply love those around you. Jen will be there.
As naturalist E.O. Wilson observed, “You are capable of more than you know. Choose a goal that seems right for you and strive to be the best, however hard the path. Aim high. Behave honorably. Prepare to be alone at times, and to endure failure. Persist! The world needs all you can give.”
We thank Jen for giving her all. For those that wish to, Jen's family requests donations in Jen's name to the National Kidney Foundation, https://team.kidney.org/campaign/Jennifer-Hostetler-Memorial or another charity that supports the advancement of science, medicine, or social justice, in lieu of flowers.
Due to the current pandemic and CDC guidelines the memorial service for Jennifer will be private. Friends are encouraged to attend via webcasting on Saturday, June 20th at 2:00 pm (EST).
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