Jill A. Jaecks (formerly McNeil), 56, of Branchburg, NJ passed away peacefully on Monday, January 27, 2025 at The Village at Meadowbrook in Matawan, NJ after a 15 month battle against ALS.

Jill was born on December 19, 1968 in Wausau, WI to Richard Jaecks and the late Sandra Parkin, where she resided for the first 13 years of her life. She could often be found hanging out with her best friend Tracy, sledding down the roof during the winter time, playing Barbies, and having sleepovers, despite being next door neighbors. As a typical older sister, she lovingly picked on her younger sister Carin, telling her she couldn’t hang out with her and her friends and calling her Worm, a nickname that would end up sticking for decades. She then moved to Elkhart, IN and graduated from Elkhart High School in 1987 before moving on to attend Ball State University. She graduated with the class of 1991 with a degree in accounting. After graduating, Jill was eager to enter the workforce and began her first job with the Indiana State Lottery. Through her job, Jill encountered many volunteering opportunities and could be found at a charity 5K, walk, or event nearly every weekend. Especially dear to her heart was the Special Olympics.

While in Indianapolis, Jill would meet the father of her children, Robert McNeil. They met at a wedding in Indiana coincidentally through mutual friends. They would date long distance for a little while before Jill made the big move to New Jersey, where she would reside for the rest of her life. They married at Niagara Falls in 1997 and soon moved to their first place in Sterling, NJ. As they were getting ready to start their family, they moved to Green Brook, NJ, where they would make many cherished friends. In 2007, they made their final move as a family to Branchburg, NJ, to their beloved house on Covered Bridge Road, where they would make lifelong friendships with their lovely neighbors.

Jill was incredibly selfless, she would give the shirt off her back to you without you even asking and would go out of her way to help anyone from family, to a friend, to a stranger in need. Whether that was through carpooling kids to and from activities or volunteering as class mom, she was always there and ready to lend a helping hand. Every summer, Jill loved making the drive to Wisconsin to visit her family. She loved being able to spend quality time with loved ones, whether that be at her sister or mom’s house, friends’ houses, Trout Lake, or Marathon Park. She also notoriously would take down cheese orders for nearly all her Branchburg friends in order to bring home a special treat for everyone to enjoy. On that same token, she was adored for her cookie baking. She loved to bake in her free time and could often be found baking cookies for all of her coworkers, friends, and family to enjoy, and they made every holiday and family get together special. When she wasn’t baking or volunteering, she also adored cross-stitching and crafting and was always making another knick knack to display. She had an innate ability to be able to leave a positive impact on anyone whose life she entered; Jill could make a friend in any room she was in. And even after she lost the ability to speak, she would cruise around in her wheelchair, fist bumping everyone she encountered and bringing a smile to their face.

 However, above all else, Jill’s greatest joy in life came from being a mom to her three children, Josephine, Megan, and Sean. They were her greatest pride and she always took each and every opportunity to spend time with them and talk about them to anyone who would listen. She especially loved helping with the recreational theatre program Josie and Megan participated in, being the biggest cheerleader at all their sports games and meets, and listening to choir and a cappella concerts. She was known for her persistent work ethic, doing everything in her power to provide her children with everything they could want. Jill and her kids especially loved it when they had the opportunity for mom-and-me days together - whether that be shopping trips, going out to favorite restaurants, time at the park, or watching TV shows.

She is preceded in death by her beloved mother, Sandra Parkin.

Surviving are her three loving children, Josephine, Megan, and Sean McNeil of Branchburg; her cherished sister, Carin and husband Jeremy Leininger of Wausau, WI; her beloved father, Richard and wife Sue Jaecks of Woodstock, GA; her adored nieces and nephews Brayton, Hannah, Brian, Áine, Joshua, and Nathaniel; her “out-laws”, as she loving called them, James and Kathleen Merritt of Branchburg; the father of her children, Robert McNeil of Branchburg; her devoted caretaker, Gigi; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins that she will be dearly missed by.

Viewing will be held on Friday January 31, 2025 from 3-7pm at the Branchburg Funeral Home 910 US Highway 202 South Branchburg, NJ 08876.

Funeral services will start with a prayer at the funeral home at 9:15am on Saturday February 1, 2025 followed by a 10am funeral mass at St. Bernard R.C. Church in Bridgewater.

Committal is private.