On November 19, 1966 in Jackson, Mississippi, a force to be reckoned with was born in the person of Jennifer Arlnice, to Sebetha and Rufus Jenkins.  From the moment she was born, her parents knew that Jennifer was a special child---bright, dynamic, energetic, and determined to be all that she dreamed of pursuing.

At a very early age, Jennifer gravitated to books, and learning and sports, and anything that engaged her in moving from one level of performance to the next.  She was a Brownie who did not stop until she was a Girl Scout counselor.  She was a graduate of Starkville High school and never stopped until she completed her post-doctoral program.  She was a scientist and never stopped until she earned a position of Senior Scientist at the formidable Allergan Pharmaceuticals.  In all of her efforts, her goal was to reach the top, go the full distance, surpass the mark.

She carried a multitude of friends along the way, friends who served to challenge, support and engage her intellectually and professionally from childhood to motherhood.  She also carried along a few select mentors with whom she sought career direction.

After graduating from Starkville High School with honors, Jennifer earned her bachelor's degree at the University of Akron, majoring in biology, followed by her master's degree in physiology.

Jennifer began her first teaching position at Kentucky State University where she became one of the most popular professors on campus, mainly because she exuded love for her discipline and for her students while teaching anatomy, physiology, parasitology, microbiology, and bioethics True to her personality, and following the direction of her mentors, Jennifer started and completed her doctoral degree at UNT Health Science Center in Behavioral Pharmacology.  After  working briefly in Dallas, Jennifer completed her Post Doctorate Fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Following the business side of science, Jennifer accepted a position at Allergan as a senior scientist.

All of these accomplishments are in and of themselves spectacular but even more so when considering that she also was challenged by major health problems throughout the achievements of these various academic and career goals.  As her mother said of her daughter, "She never gave up."

In addition to her academic and career goals and affiliations, Jennifer was also deeply involved in her civic organizations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.  She continued her intellectual advancement, as evidenced by her affiliation with the Society of Neuroscience, and her recent appointment to the HBCU STEM Leadership Team.   Jennifer published "Discriminative Stimulus Effects of Diazepam, Ketamine, and Their Mixture: Ethanol Substitution Patterns" and "The Influence of Gender and the Estrous Cycle on Learned Helplessness in the Eat."  She also earned a patent while working at Allergan called Pinna Reflex Assay, a method for measuring potency of a substance, the method including; administering the substance to a mammal; subjecting the mammal to a stimulus; and monitoring a pinna reflex response of the mammal.

This force, this Jennifer, this Jay-Jay, this Jen also explored every interest that she thought would further enhance the quality of her life, and that included, acting, music, sports and starting a family.

Being successful in her career led Jennifer to a desire to nurture and develop a strong family of her own.  Following her first marriage to Carlos Mosquera, the couple adopted their precious Carmen Samaria.  During her second marriage to Dennis Diotallevi, the couple adopted two additional daughters, Trinity  and Lola, relocated initially to Aurora, Illinois and finally to Tyler, Texas.

Her husband Dennis and their three daughters were the joy of her heart, a major purpose for which she strove to model and imbue them with strength, determination, love of God, and persistence.  She pursued every interest, every instinct to move the girls to higher level of accomplishment, from drama, to dance, to violin, to gymnastics, to faith.

Jennifer leaves to mourn her passing and celebrate her life, her mother and father, Sebetha Jenkins Booker, and Charles Booker; husband, Dennis Diotallevi; her children: Carmen Samaria, Trinity Camille, Lola Josephine, Michelle Diotallevi Dougherty(Sean), Nicole Diotallevi, Joseph Diotallevi and Daniel Diotallevi; her granddaughters Vivienne and Cora; her sisters Kennette Davis(Russell), Kenita Veasley(Chris), Alrissa Jenkins Sims(Marcus), Kendall Jenkins, and her brothers Rufus Jenkins Jr. (Pam), Michelangelo Jenkins and a host of loving relatives and friends.

"Never, never give up," was Jennifer's philosophy--- a proud daughter, a brilliant scholar, a loving wife, a devoted mother, a strong, daring woman, a child of God, a force---a servant whose job she never left undone.