March 13, 1978 ~ Nov. 20, 2023
Jennifer (Jenny) Leonetti entered her eternal home in Heaven on Nov. 20, 2023, after a year-long courageous battle with an aggressive and fast-moving cancer. She was born to Claude and Karen Wood at Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. She joined an older brother, Joe, born 18 months earlier. A second brother, Josh, was born in 1981. A third brother, Jared, was born in 1984. Growing up with three brothers had its challenges, but Jenny met them all with love and grace, with a little admonishment and self-defense thrown in. Playing jokes on one another was a regular part of family life, with lots of laughter in the household. Jenny loved a good prank and getting the best of one or all of her brothers was a special delight. As she got older, she was constantly trying her hand at matchmaking, but her brothers were not impressed with her attempts to marry them off.
Growing up in Gypsum, Jenny spent many happy hours helping out on the family ranch. From her earliest years, animals were her constant companions. Her list of beloved animals included a Shetland pony, cow horses, rope horses, pleasure mounts, two miniature poodles, a couple of cow dogs who were mostly family pets, and several miniature dachshunds, along with rabbits, cows, sheep, and goats. She hated mice and snakes.
Although her animals were precious to her, she loved her family more and was always there to help them in any way she could. She relished the time she spent with them and was always a constant support they could count on. A duty she greatly enjoyed was cooking for her brother Joe’s guide and outfitting business during hunting season. She would ride 10 miles up the mountain to hunting camp, usually with her nieces Deana and Leah, to build a fire and cook three meals a day for five days for between eight and 10 hungry men. Her nieces called her Auntie and that was the only name the hunters knew her by. There were other cooks from time to time in other camps, but “Auntie” was always the favorite.
From the time she was born, her parents had her in church three times a week. As she grew older, she was an avid participant in youth group, church camp, Vacation Bible School, and many other church-related activities too numerous to mention. At the age of five, she told her dad that she wanted to be saved. As the two of them sat on her bed they talked about the fact that believing on Jesus and trusting Him to save her was what she needed to do. That evening, she trusted Jesus to save her and has been living for Jesus ever since. She said she could always remember the day she got saved because it was Joe’s birthday.
Jenny attended first through third grade at Eagle Valley Elementary. The rest of her elementary and middle school years were spent being homeschooled. At the age of 14, the family moved to Walden, Colorado, where Jenny attended and graduated from North Park High School. During her school years, Jenny was involved in 4-H, taking several projects, including cooking, sewing, showing rabbits, chickens, sheep, steers, and, her favorite, horses. She was also involved in a drill team that performed at local rodeos, as well as participating in high school rodeo, specializing in breakaway roping. She also would occasionally team rope, mostly with her brothers.
Upon graduation from high school, Jenny spent her next two years at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, majoring in agricultural business and being an active participant on the college rodeo team. Her last two years of college were spent at Colorado State University, graduating in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in ag business. During her years at CSU, she continued to participate in college rodeos as a member of the CSU college rodeo team. After graduating from CSU, she enrolled in Maranatha Baptist Bible College where she took a one-year Bible course.
During her college years, Jenny worked at various jobs both during the school year and in the summer. While at Maranatha, she worked on a dairy farm when not in class. While at CSU, she worked at Carl’s Jr. In the summers, she worked at The Village Market in Avon as a checker. After college, she got a job as a teller at First Bank in Edwards. It wasn’t long until an opening came at the Eagle County Extension office to fill the position of 4-H agent. Jenny applied for and got the job where she spent the last 20 years. During those years, she delighted in serving the youth of the valley as they enrolled and participated in 4-H. She was tireless in her efforts to teach them life-long character-building traits and skills. As she interacted with them, she hoped and prayed that each one of them would see the love of Jesus being portrayed in her life and choose to have that same love in their life. Jenny loved them all with a sincere heart that went far beyond her duties as an extension agent.
On Sept. 21, 2013, Jennifer Wood married Tony Leonetti. God granted them 10 wonderful years of joy and blessings together as they sought to honor the Lord with their lives. They enjoyed their time together, always busy with some sort of project or activity. They loved going for jeep rides, horseback rides on the ranch on Cottonwood Pass, picnicking at the lake, camping at various locations around the state, taking care of their cows, goats, and horses, working on home and ranch improvements, going to visit family and friends while staying at Tony’s farm in Ohio, and many other activities too numerous to mention. They were also active members at Eagle Baptist Church.
One of their greatest joys was the birth of their son, Grady Angelo, who was born March 31 of this year. This little miracle of life came after 10 years of Tony and Jenny longing for children only to see eight babies taken to Heaven before they were ever born. It is a comfort to know Jenny is there with them now. By May of this year, the couple had learned that Jenny’s cancer of a few months earlier had returned. After a courageous and hard-fought battle with Tony by her side, and family gathered around her bed praying, Jenny went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The final victory was Jenny’s with no more suffering, sadness, good-byes, or tears, but only joy and delight in a perfect body forever and ever. She will best be remembered for her infectious smile and her ability to bring joy and happiness to those who knew her. She will be sorely missed by a multitude of family and friends.
Surviving family members include her husband, Tony, seven-and-a-half-month-old baby Grady, her mother Karen Wood, her father Claude Wood, her stepmother Peg Wood; her three brothers Joe (Britnee), Josh and Jared Wood; her five nieces Deana, Leah, Columbine, Krisha and Landree; one nephew, Caswell; uncle Larry Walker, grandma Pat Wood, her mother-in-law, Karen Leonetti, and several aunts, uncles and cousins.
Preceding her in death are her grandparents Dean and Lois Walker, grandpa Jack Wood, a cousin Dani Walker, and her father-in-law Angelo Leonetti.
Funeral services will be held in Eagle, Colorado, at the Eagle River Center on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, at 11 a.m. with a graveside service to follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity.
