1 Photo
Jenna Joy Vertullo, a lifelong East Hampton resident, died on January 2. She was 42.
Born November 14, 1972, she was a student at the East Hampton schools until attending college in Florida. She was diagnosed with infant neuroblastoma—a cancer of the nerve cells that few survived at that time—at 18 months. She defied every doctor’s prognosis with sheer strength of will and determination, survivors said, adding that her adult life was spent battling the repercussions of her illness in a body that refused to heal.
Her parents, Richard and Gail Lia, rarely left her side and cared for her every day. Survivors said her sister, Jessica, was her best friend and confidant and that her dog, Maximus, brought her peace and joy through her hardest times. She loved horseback riding and the arts and was an avid reader. She taught those who knew her the meaning of forgiveness, compassion and the strength to love, they added.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 10, at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in East Hampton. A reception will follow at the First Presbyterian Session House.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, www.stjude.org.
on Jan 6, 2015