Jennifer Jacob Nosler Barnett

Jennifer was born May 20, 1951 in Houston, TX to Richard Francis and Elizabeth Jane Reiger Nosler. Jennifer was the first child of three. She had two younger brothers, James (Jim) Goodson and John Richard. Growing up in Houston and Dallas she always loved animals. She and her brother Jim would attend cat shows with their black shorthaired cat named Black Satin. Her love for turtles started at a young age, as she would see her father stop to help turtles cross the road on their travels between Houston and Dallas. She was one of the Beatles’ biggest fans. She attended their concert with her brother Jim in Dallas in 1964. She was always in the National Honor Society. As a teenager, she was an active member of the Episcopal Young Church at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Art History on August 21, 1975. She enjoyed working as a librarian during college. Jennifer graduated from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law with a Doctor of Jurisprudence on May 20, 1978 (her birthday). She was initially a juvenile judge in Texas, then a lawyer for the California Farm Bureau Federation, a lawyer for Texas Parks and Wildlife, a legal editor for Butterworth Publishing, and a legal editor for the State Bar Of Texas. After moving to Colorado in 1998, she did work for the local courts briefly, however her focus shifted to philanthropic work caring for cats.

Jennifer met John Rockwell Barnett in the fifth grade. They were first married on August 27, 1970 in Dallas, TX, and attended college together. They divorced in 1971, before reconnecting and remarrying 27 years later.

Jennifer was briefly married to Wesley (Wess) Comeau, however he then died unexpectedly in a car accident in 1978. Jennifer met Thomas Mellett in Austin, TX. They were married in 1979. Together they had one daughter, Amelia. They divorced in 1998.

After reconnecting, Jennifer and John remarried on October 20, 1999 in Green Mountain Falls, CO. Between the two of them, they had one daughter and three sons.

Jennifer’s passion was caring for cats. She founded a non-profit limited admission, adoption-guaranteed cat shelter, Look What The Cat Brought In Feline Rescue Network, in Colorado Springs, CO in 2008. This was the first shelter in Colorado Springs, serving cats exclusively. This shelter cares for and helps find new homes for hundreds of cats annually. Jennifer also had a strong love for turtles as well as plants, fossils, rocks, and books (especially mystery novels). She also wrote and published a few books to benefit the shelter, “Pudge Finds His Calling” and “ Wingman’s Great Adventure”. She would commonly find injured turtles on the side of the road to rescue and care for. She was an avid gardener, tending to many unique plants. She enjoyed road trips and traveled extensively through Texas, Colorado, and the Southwest. She delighted in rockhounding during these adventures. She also loved searching for vintage treasures. She loved photography. She was fascinated by angels. She savored Tex Mex, BBQ, Thai food, shrimp, and dessert. She had many varied musical tastes, including The Beatles, Buddy Holly, Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Patti Smith, Steve Fromholz, and especially Lyle Lovett.

Jennifer is survived by her former husband Thomas Mellett, a daughter Amelia Mellett Keith (and her husband Chad Keith), three sons - Max Moorman, Sam Barnett (and his wife Sydney Moffat), and Peter Barnett, and her cats Blue and Freddy, who are being adopted by her son Peter.

She is also survived by five grandchildren: Eric and Andrew Keith of Colorado Springs, CO, and Maisie, Silas, and Winona Moffat Barnett of Los Angeles, California. Also surviving is her brother, James (Jim) Nosler of Brewster, MA.

Jennifer is preceded in passing by her husband John Barnett (who died December 17, 2025), former husband Wess Comeau, brother John Nosler, and parents Richard and Jane Nosler.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday October 24, 2026 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Monument, CO at 11 am, followed immediately by a reception at the church. Please wear Jennifer’s favorite color, green, and consider wearing any cat related piece of flare or wild hat as a tribute to Jennifer.

Contributions in her honor may be made to https://lookwhatthecatbroughtin.org/, the 501(c) (3) cat shelter that she founded. Thankfully her legacy will be continued with additional leadership to carry on the essential work of the shelter.