Jennifer Lee Neff 1945-2023

Jennifer was born Jan. 26, 1945, in Portsmouth, Va., to Robert and Maxine Dwiggins Neff. She was raised in post-World War II Canfield and graduated from Canfield High School in 1963. She received an A.A. from Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., and a B.S. in education from Youngstown State University in 1967.

Jennifer’s parents instilled their love of local history and of our community in her. Her father descended from pioneer settlers in the Western Reserve. Ancestors Conrad and Magdalena Weaver Neff settled in Canfield in 1804 and built a log home on Route 224, now known as the Loghurst Museum. Other early Canfield families were Kline, Noll, Sanzenbacher and Wilson. Her mother’s families were early homesteaders in Nebraska.

The merging of the original German and English settlers played an important role in the growth of Canfield. From her Neff family, Jennifer learned early on about the settlers from Pennsylvania, who were of German descent.

Since 1987, she had lived in the 1884 Dean Hill Dairy Farm home in Canfield Township. This triggered an intrigue with the history of settlers from Connecticut, who were of English descent. She kept records in a software program which links 40,000 Mahoning Valley individuals. To ensure and honor their memory, she has created many online tributes.

These curiosities led to an overall study and recording of local history. Jennifer had authored many monographs and books on a variety of topics, with subjects ranging from church and cemeteries, to military and veterans of all wars. She wrote a guide of things for children to do in a five-county area. She also wrote the “History of Farmers National Bank” and the “WWII Life of Lt. Robert H. Neff.”

Jennifer was a sustainer in the Junior League of Youngstown, member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a past member of the Sleepy Hollow Garden Club. She was a member of the Canfield Historic Society, Canfield Heritage Foundation and the Canfield United Methodist Church. She had volunteered for the Silver Lake Home and School League, Cystic Fibrosis, American Heart Association and served on the boards of Planned Parenthood and the Volunteer Action Center in Akron.

Jennifer’s hobbies included reading, writing, gardening, history and genealogy, and she cared deeply about environmental issues. She was an inspiration to all who met her and will be remembered for her selfless and countless acts of kindness, her generosity, her wisdom and her amusing humor.

Sadly, Jennifer’s marriage to Dr. Thomas Fiffick did not survive, but their friendship remained. They shared the love of three wonderful children, Mary Alexis (Hank) Mathews, George (Chandler) Fiffick and Max (Amy) Fiffick; the joy of eight dear grandchildren, Aaron (Sadey), Joan and Adam Mathews; George, Virginia and Scarlett Fiffick; and Sam and Isabella Fiffick; and one great-granddaughter, Sawyer Mathews, making Jennifer’s life complete. She was worried about the concerning world affairs that she is leaving them.

Jennifer also leaves two sisters, Holly (Gordon) Broom of Edwardsville, Ill. and Candace Neff of Lantana, Fla.; along with many nieces and nephews.

She had unfailing appreciation for the many gestures of thoughtfulness shown to her. It would be an honor to have contributions donated to the charity of your choice in her memory.

Arrangements handled by Wasko Funeral Home.

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