Jennifer Mack

Jennifer ("Jen" “Jenny”) Mack passed away on April 1, 2024 in Chicago, IL, after living courageously with breast cancer for over three years. She was forty-four years old.

Jennifer was a brilliant, generous, hilarious and spunky person who was deeply beloved by many family members and friends. Jen adored traveling, taking in natural wonders in the US and exploring abroad. For years, she indulged this passion with intrepid solo voyages; more recently, she made the most of her remaining time by exploring the world with a rotating cast of friends in tow. They will remember her zest for new places, foods, and experiences–and remain in awe of her incredible minimalist packing.

The arts were a longstanding passion of Jen’s. Not only did she read literature (actual LITERATURE) and take in performances regularly in New York, but she was also a devoted supporter of her friends who were performing artists, even serving on the board of a friend’s arts nonprofit. Jen’s artistic eye was evident in her elegant tastes, especially in clothing and decor. Her incredible mind could take on anything that interested her, from academic theories to statistics. Jen was a sharp researcher, wielding quantitative and qualitative tools with ease, most recently doing national public opinion polling at NORC. She also unleashed her intellect and her remarkable generosity through the Effective Altruism community in NYC and various volunteering endeavors.

Jen attended the competitive Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy for high school before graduating from Smith College having majored in Mathematics and later earning a Master’s Degree in the Social Sciences from the University of Chicago.

She is survived by her mother, Anita Mack, and brother, Kirk Mack. One obituary could never capture all sides of this incredible and complex woman. Please add your own memories and reflections about Jen to this site and help her loved ones celebrate her.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation. Jen has requested that donations in her memory be made to GiveDirectly, an organization that delivers cash directly to the world’s poorest households. In doing so, they aim to accelerate the end of extreme poverty globally.