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Jennifer Jean McKenna

Jennifer Jean McKenna (Jen) of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, passed away at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill hospital on June 27, 2019, from cystic fibrosis-related complications. She was 41 years old.

Jen was born on Nov. 30 in Sonora, Calif., to Virginia Williams and Duane Ellis. Jennifer spent most of her life in Bakersfield, Calif. She received a bachelor’s degree in English from CSU Bakersfield in 2001 and her teaching certificate from National University in 2002, where she met her husband, Dr. Corey McKenna. The two dated for a couple of years before getting married on Jan. 1, 2005.

After spending a short time teaching English, she went back to one of her passions: outdoor sporting goods and firearms. She spent the next seven years working for Second Amendment Sports. She knew everything about firearms and how to shoot well. After visiting Idaho in 2011 for Ironman Coeur d’Alene, Jen and Corey decided to move to Coeur d’Alene in 2012 as a way to get Jen out of the pollution-filled areas of central California and to cleaner air.

Jen lived her entire life with cystic fibrosis. However, she did not let her disease stop her from accomplishing remarkable things in life, nor did she let it define her. Jen ran several half marathons, walked a full marathon, ran an 18-mile trail run in Death Valley, rode several CF Rides (including one for 35 miles) and hiked multiple trails. She loved to fish, kayak and shoot guns. She was an archer. She followed her husband, a local Ironman triathlete, to all of his events and cheered him on.

Jen is also remembered for her kind and loving heart and passion for God. She always accomplished things in life to glorify God and honor Him and her husband.

Her impact on the Coeur d’Alene community was noticed while working at the Union Gospel Mission as the volunteer coordinator and being active at Coeur d’Alene Bible Church. It wasn’t until the last couple of years where things got more difficult with her CF. In February 2018, the couple began a conversation with her CF doctor about receiving a double lung transplant. In February 2019, the couple relocated to Chapel Hill, N.C., to begin the transplant waitlist process. On May 23, she received her new lungs and was able to breathe clearly and fully for the first time in her life. However, complications related to her cystic fibrosis took a toll on other organ systems and she was unable to recover from it.

Jen passed away peacefully at the University of North Carolina hospital, five weeks after her double lung transplant. She was surrounded by family at the time of her passing. She will be remembered as a loving wife and daughter, a woman who loved God, one who loved to laugh and smile and one who had a passion to live life to the fullest with her devoted husband, her family and friends.

Jen is survived by her husband, Dr. Corey McKenna of Coeur d’Alene; her mother, Virginia Williams, of Bakersfield; her father and stepmother, Duane and Sally Ellis, of Sonora; and her brother, Joe Ellis of Lincoln, Calif. She did not have any children.

A memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019, at Coeur d’Alene Bible Church, with a reception to follow. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Jen’s life and the impact she had on everyone. Flowers, cards and condolences can be brought to the church and will be given to the family after the service.