Jennifer "Jenni" McFadden Gregory, 49, of Greensboro passed away on January 7, 2022 after a 10-year battle with metastatic breast cancer.

Jenni was born and grew up in the Chicago suburb of LaGrange Park IL, where she was a standout volleyball player and student at Lyons Township High School. She earned a varsity volleyball scholarship at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech), and, over her four-year college career, she etched her name in the team's record books while graduating cum laude with an undergraduate degree in Clothing and Textile Design. As a young person in LaGrange and at Virginia Tech, Jenni also earned something else that was truly important to her – close relationships with childhood and university friends and teammates that she nurtured and enjoyed throughout her life. She was very grateful to spend time with many of them in her last days.

Also, while at Virginia Tech, Jenni met her future husband, Darren, and through their love of volleyball and each other they merged their lives and moved to Greensboro and then wed in 1999. Their beautiful daughter, Kendall, was born in 2003. Jenni earned a second bachelor's degree, in accounting and also summa cum laude, from UNC-Greensboro, while embarking on her 20+ year career with VF Corporation (now Kontoor Brands). Rising to become Director of Operations, Jenni was well known and respected for her mentorship of others and, as throughout her life, developed many close and dear friends. Some of her last moments were spent laughing and reminiscing with those who made her office a place she treasured until just a couple weeks before her death.

All who knew Jenni, know her to be a beautiful, kind, smart, loyal, faith-filled person who had a successful career and many friends. She treasured family-time with Darren and Kendall, traveling, playing and watching her family play volleyball, painting, listening to music, and generally being with family and friends. Jenni spoke softly, laughed easily, and loved unconditionally.

It would be wrong to say that Jenni lost her battle with cancer because she never stopped fighting. No matter how sick she was, she was always determined. When anyone else would have broken, Jenni stayed strong. She was diagnosed in 2011 and only those who really knew Jenni, knew she had cancer. Even her doctors were amazed at how she handled each day as she progressed. Jenni's motto was "Just Deal with It"! Through her, we know what resilience, strength, and perseverance truly look like.

Jenni was predeceased by her loving mother, Kathy McFadden. In addition to Darren and Kendall, Jenni is survived by her father, Tom McFadden, her brother, Josh (Jurgita) McFadden, and numerous special nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles.

A memorial visitation will be held on Friday, January 21 from 3:00 until 9:00 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton.  A mass will be held on Saturday, January 22 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Michael Catholic Church. A livestream of the mass will be available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrEKgfmaedU beginning at 10:30 a.m. CST.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cone Health Cancer Center at Wesley Long .