YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. — Jennifer Petri was a wife, a mother of four, and a friend to many.
Residents in her Camp Verde hometown knew her from Denny’s, where she worked as a server for 15 years.
“She was everyone’s friend,” said Danae Wolf. “She had so much compassion for people and empathy. And it’s really something I looked up to.”
Wolf considered Petri a second mother, being there for the ups and downs of life, she said.
“She was going to go for a walk, and I gave her a hug goodbye,” Wolf said. “I wish I would have hugged her a little tighter.”
Wolf now holding on tight to that last memory.
On Monday, the beloved server died after falling about 20 feet from a cliff above West Clear Creek, said the Yavapai Sheriff’s Office.
The 44-year-old was in an area known as “The Bluffs,” when authorities said a friend who was with Petri, called 911 and reported the fall and said she “was no longer visible.”
A search team spotted Petri at the base of a cliff just above the water’s edge. A helicopter transported a trooper to the area to rescue Petri before determining she was already dead, YCSO said.
Her body was airlifted out of the canyon. YCSO is investigating how she fell.
“It was a shock. I don’t think anyone wants to believe it,” said Wolf. “It was hard to believe.”
Petri loved the outdoors, usually spending Sundays with her family at the creek.
Wolf said Petri knew the area where she fell, having been there several times before.
“Jennifer, she’s goofy, she’s funny and adventurous. Had the most contagious smile,” Wolf said.
The tragedy came two days before one of Petri’s sons turned 15 years old.
“I want her to be remembered for her compassion and the amazing mother that she was,” said Wolf. “She was the glue that held her family together.”
Jennifer Petri’s family has set up a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses, you can help donate here.
If you want to help with funeral expenses, you can donate to the family's GoFundMe page.
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