Jennifer Lynn Tapley entered this world on April 1, 1973 to her parents Joretta Anne and Chris Mathewson Tapley.
As a newborn, she was a beautiful sight with her red-orange hair fuzz and striking blue eyes-a sweet, independent soul from the very beginning. Jennifer's early adventures included escaping her baby bed, covering herself with a blanket, and bumping down the hall, convinced she was invisible.
Jennifer embraced her role as a big sister to Travis Scott Tapley in 1975 and Jason Lee Tapley in 1977. As a dutiful big sister, she got up when the baby cried at night and brought mom a diaper. When the baby quieted down, she would go back to bed. As they grew, she rousted her brothers around to pick up their toys, to behave or whatever she thought they should be doing. Jennifer was a fierce, loving big sister and second mom.
An avid reader, Jennifer delved into various genres from romance to mysteries, fueling her curiosity about travel, wildlife, and distant lands.
Jennifer accepted Christ as her savior in middle school, leading to her baptism at Shiloh Road Church of God in Garland, TX.
During high school, Jennifer joined the marching band playing the clarinet and later became a flag girl her senior year. The police department offered a self-defense class that she enjoyed so much, it led her to the martial arts, nurturing her strong sense of independence.
Following high school, Jennifer pursued higher education at Tulsa Community College before transferring to OSU in Stillwater, where she discovered her passion for wildlife studies. She and several others worked for the Oklahoma Wildlife during hunting season. During this time, Jennifer and her colleagues were tasked with removing the jaws of each deer to send for nutritional analysis. She loved being involved in this work.
That summer, Jennifer and her friends ventured to Colorado to work on a dude ranch. In addition to taking riders on trails through the woods, she called home to report that they had to run raccoons out of the kitchen on multiple occasions. She thrived.
After graduating from OSU, Jennifer accepted a position at the National Wild Turkey Federation in Edgefield, SC. She packed up her Geo Metro and moved halfway across the country for her next adventure that would last more than a decade. While in SC, she met her best friend and loyal companion, Maui, a bull terrier. Jennifer and Maui made lifelong memories together, exploring anywhere and everywhere, together.
Following the Federation's downsizing, Jennifer returned to Tulsa to pursue a career in a new field, Geographic Information Systems. She furthered her college career to expand her skills and landed a position at Aerial Data Service (ADS).
She enjoyed this new line of work, finding it challenging and interesting. Jennifer was diagnosed in November 2023 with brain cancer. Throughout her illness, Jennifer and her family greatly appreciated the unwavering support of her colleagues at ADS.
Jennifer's biggest dream was to explore Scotland, a goal she tirelessly prepared for and saved towards.
Sometimes God takes us on a different journey than expected. Jennifer now travels on, reunited with loved ones and exploring vistas beyond our earthly imagination. Her absence will be deeply felt, her spirit remembered fondly, every single day.
Known affectionately as "turtle" by her wildlife colleagues, Jennifer's deliberate approach to life mirrored the patience and wisdom of the creature she was named after.
Jennifer is survived by her mother, Joretta Tapley of Tulsa, OK; father, Chris Tapley of Garland, TX; younger brother, Travis Tapley and his wife Candace Tapley of Bixby, OK; younger brother Jason Tapley of Bixby, OK; nephews, Jackson Miller and Luca Tapley; niece, Jessa Tapley; Aunt Donna Dowdy; Uncle Wayne McDugle and Aunt Connie McDugle; cousin Shanna Ford.

A Celebration of Life Service will be 10:00AM Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in the Moore Funeral Home Southlawn Chapel, 9350 East 51st Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma.