Jacquelyn W. Kaufman

Jacquelyn W. Kaufman, 70, born on September 2, 1951, in Washington, DC, United States, passed away November 1, 2021. She is survived by her loving husband, Barry Kaufman, two sons, James and Jeremy, and two grandchildren, Jai and Navya.

Jackie was raised in Rockville, Maryland where she attended Richard Montgomery High School (Class of 1969). She graduated from American University with a B.A. in Journalism in 1973 and fulfilled a lifelong dream of moving to New York City after visiting as a young child. There she met her husband Barry Kaufman. They were wed on February 19th, 1977 in Rockville, MD. They soon moved to New Jersey where they would spend the next 40 years (most of it in Caldwell, NJ) before permanently relocating to La Quinta, CA in 2016. Jacquelyn completed her M.B.A. from Pace University in 1981. Her and Barry had their first child, James, in September of 1984. They completed their family 7 years later when their second son, Jeremy, was born in October of 1991. Jacquelyn welcomed the first of her two grandchildren, Jai, in 2018 and her second grandchild, Navya, in 2019. Her daughter-in-law Swathi Bojedla wed James in June of 2017 and Jeremy will be wed to Mackenzie Ginsburg in June of 2022.

Jackie enjoyed a very successful career in marketing that spanned four decades and saw her work for a diverse set of companies ranging from Coopers and Lybrand in the late 80's, to a range of start-ups in the 90's and 2000's. While in New Jersey she served as a Sunday School teacher and Deacon at the First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell while also doing volunteer work mentoring younger women from Newark, NJ.

Out in La Quinta she quickly become a staple of the community. She became a board member, Treasurer, and eventual President of Laguna Del Paz. She also became involved in several charitable endeavors, most notably Assistance League. She was hoping to continue a life of giving and helping others through her twilight years.

Jacquelyn was a lover of the arts, particularly theater and film. She served on the board of Desert Film Society here in the Valley, and was a member of several book clubs and a writer's group. She also really enjoyed planning trips and travel (even though she hated flying). You could find her in her element on the beach, with a good book in hand and a glass of wine nearby. She will be forever revered by all of those who knew her and her adventurous spirit will live on through her grandchildren.


Arrangements are under the direction of Forest Lawn, Cathedral City, California. In lieu of flowers please send donations to https://www.assistanceleague.org/coachella-valley/donate/