Jennifer Leigh Russo

Jennifer Leigh Russo (47) of Granite Bay passed away on Wednesday, September 27th after a courageous battle with a rare autoimmune disease called Scleroderma. Jen, or “Jenny” as she was called, was born in Remsen, Iowa, on August 14th, 1976, to Carl and Mary Kunkel. After graduating from high school at St. Mary’s in Remsen, Jen followed her sister Holly and brother-in-law Jon to Minneapolis. In 1999, she met her future husband, Chris, and moved to his hometown of Granite Bay, CA a few years later. She attended Sierra College in Rocklin and graduated with her business degree. She went on to work in business administration for several years.

In 2008, at the young age of 32, Jen was diagnosed with Systemic Scleroderma. The prognosis for her disease was devastating. In the years that would follow, Jen would endure countless hospitalizations and experimental treatments, including a double lung transplant in 2020 which would ultimately give her three and a half more years with her loved ones. Words that were often used to describe Jen were "brave," "strong," and "resilient." Her courage was unmatched and is difficult to fully describe in words.

Although she battled this disease for much of her life, Scleroderma did not define Jen. Jen was a Prosecco (or “bubbles”) and cheese aficionado. On any given Sunday, you could find her at brunch with her best friends, spending hours together creating important memories with those who meant the most to her. Music was also a big part of Jen’s life. In recent years, she was able to travel to see her favorite artist, Adele, live in concert, a night that Jen talked about often. And if it wasn’t Adele, it was 80’s hits. Many nights and summer days were spent with the best of the 80’s on the speakers—something Jen’s children would soon come to love. Anyone who knew Jen knew she loved music, but not quite as much as she loved animals. Through the years, Jen was known to adopt and/or foster dozens of animals, with cats being her main love. There was not one Christmas or birthday that Jen didn’t receive some sort of cat-inspired gift. Those items will forever hold a special place in the Russo house as her loved ones remember Jen and her kind spirit.

Jennifer is survived by her husband of 20 years, Chris, her three daughters, Bailey (27), Madelyn (18), and Ava (16), her mother, Mary, her sister Holly, and countless friends and loved ones. She is preceded in death by her father, Carl, who passed away in 2005.

A celebration of life for Jen will be held on Monday, October 9th, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Twin Rocks Estate Winery in Granite Bay. Due to limited parking at the estate, please consider carpooling or choosing a ride share option to and from the venue. In lieu of flowers, the Russo family asks that you consider donating to any of the following organizations, which held great importance to Jen:

* The Scleroderma Foundation

* United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)

* Your local SPCA

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ChapeloftheHills-Auburn.com for the Russo family.