Jennie Lee Shearer

Jennie Lee Shearer, 40, passed away peacefully on December 22, 2025, surrounded by her loving family after a long illness.

Jennie brought joy and love to her parents, Janet and the late John W. Shearer. She truly completed their lives.

Jennie was a creative, artistic soul who loved visual and performing arts. She was an accomplished musician, having studied at Interlochen Center for the Arts in northern Michigan, Florida Southern College in Lakeland, and the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in Chicago. She possessed a strong soprano voice and loved to perform, especially opera. She shared her talent and love generously with her family and friends. Family remember her extraordinary performance of Ave Maria at a cousin’s wedding.

Jennie’s sense of humor, warmth, and natural empathy allowed her to connect with people of all walks of life. Professionally, she excelled in a variety of customer service roles. She found great joy working as a flight attendant for a major airline.

Jennie adored animals of all kinds (except spiders—though her mom was helping her work through that!), and she was determined to rescue as many animals in need as she could. Fortunately, space at home was limited, and the resident cats strenuously objected.

Jennie will be missed forever by her community, her friends and family, and especially her mother. Besides her mother, Janet, Jennie is survived by her uncle, Rudy Taylor; aunt, Louise Taylor; cousins Adrienne and Lauren and their partners and children; as well as stepsiblings Charlotte Lillard and John M. Shearer, both of Maryland. Many dear uncles, aunts, and cousins on the Shearer side also survive. She was predeceased by her father, John W. Shearer, who sadly passed away on Jennie’s birthday in 2008.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 16, 2026, at College Heights United Methodist Church, 942 South Boulevard, Lakeland, Florida 33803, with refreshments to follow.

At the time of her passing, Jennie was in the process of planting a garden for butterflies and other pollinators on her mother Janet’s patio. Janet, not being gifted in the art of gardening, hopes to fulfill Jennie’s wish by establishing a butterfly garden at the church in Jennie’s memory. It will serve as a reminder to all who see it that life is fragile and should be handled with care. Should you choose to support this garden, gifts of any size would be most welcome. Checks may be made payable to College Heights UMC, with the memo “Jennie’s Garden.”