Jennifer Ruth (Slocum) Skidmore of Newtown, died on Saturday, May 9, 2020. Born in Hartford on July 27, 1932, she was the first child of Gladys Mary (Bowne) Slocum and Kenneth Ernest Slocum of East Hartford.

Her parents called her Jill, and raised her in what was then a small town that was just a short ride over the Connecticut River to the City of Hartford. She graduated from East Hartford High School in 1949 and happily attended many reunions with classmates who remained lifelong friends.

She worked for the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (now CIGNA). After a short training period and a year in the Medical Department, she was promoted to the position of Secretary to the Director of Personnel, Henry Dawes, assisting Mr Dawes in the planning and move of the home office to their new headquarters in Bloomfield. She also enjoyed helping with the Hartford Symphony’s Pops Concerts at the Trinity College Field House.

In 1953, she married Albert F. Van Vlack of Canaan. Their daughter, Linda, was born in 1955, and the family moved to Providence, R.I., and then to Hopkinton, Mass. In 1958, while in Massachusetts, their son, Bert, was born. Several years later, there was another move to New York’s Long Island, and a final move to Newtown.

During Jennifer’s time in New York, she volunteered at the South Huntington Elementary School and then worked part-time there. After the move to Newtown, she worked at Danbury Surgical Associates from 1971 to 1985 as their office manager, moving on to part-time work at Danbury Hospital and then to Associated Neurologists, until she retired in 1998.

Jennifer remarried in 1979 to Richard M. Skidmore of Danbury and they enjoyed 34 years together until his death in 2013. She was a longtime member of the Newtown Congregational Church and of its Circle of Hope.

Besides her parents and her husbands, Albert and Richard, she was predeceased by her beautiful daughter, Linda J. Gross; and her brother-in-law, Clifford Cramer; as well as so many cherished and very dear friends.

Surviving are her son Bert Van Vlack of Collegeville, Penn.; grandchildren Matt Van Vlack and Jessica Van Vlack Sonder; great-grandchildren Athena Van Vlack, Blake, Bentley, and Bailee Sonder, all of Pennsylvania; sister Anne (Slocum) Cramer of Kill Devil Hills, N.C., and Anne’s children, Scott of Norfolk, Va., Stacey (Cramer) Jones of Southern Shores, N.C., and Brett of Charlotte, N.C.; cousins Everly (Luippold) Trabucco of East Longmeadow, Mass., Gary Bowne of Hebron, Conn., and Betsy (Bowne) Griffiths of Binghamton, N.Y.

Jennifer is also survived by her beloved best friend, Angelo DeCesare.

At Jennifer’s request, no calling hours or services will be held. Burial will be at the Elmwood Cemetery in Bethel.

Arrangements are through the Honan Funeral Home in Newtown.