Jennifer Lynn Newcomb Kelly, 38, passed away Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson as a result of an automobile accident in Monroe County.
Jennifer was born November 20, 1987, in Tupelo, Mississippi, to Cary Dean Newcomb and Wanda Lynn Neal. She grew up primarily in Tupelo, where she graduated from high school. During her childhood, she also spent time at The Children’s Mansion in Tupelo. After leaving The Children’s Mansion, Jennifer became part of the family of Medida and Songka Keopradit and shared a special bond with them and with Mason and Tiffany.
Jennifer formerly worked at Behold Furniture and was serving as the assistant general manager of Dollar General in Becker at the time of her passing.
Jennifer was the kind of person who showed up whenever someone needed her. If someone needed a ride, she was there. If someone needed a shoulder to lean on, she was there. If someone needed her to come all the way to their house just to kill a spider, she was there. Fun-loving and full of life, Jennifer was often the life of the party. She enjoyed collecting sugar skulls, but nothing brought her greater happiness than spending time with the people she loved, her family.
Her sons, Rusty and Skyler, were her heart and her world. She was incredibly proud of the young men they had become and would gladly talk anyone’s ear off about them. Watching Rusty hold his newborn daughter, Willow, was one of the most precious moments of Jennifer’s life. On Friday nights, her face would light up with pure joy when the stadium lights came on and her baby boy, Skyler—affectionately known as “Flexico”—ran onto the football field. She was so proud of how hard he worked and how responsible her baby boy had become.
Becoming a “Nana” was one of Jennifer’s proudest accomplishments, and she didn’t even have to go to school to get the title. She cherished every moment she spent with her granddaughter, Barbara Willow. More than anything, Jennifer loved her family and treasured the time they shared.
Jennifer is survived by her two sons, Rusty Ray Plaxico and his wife, Alexis, and Skyler Kage Plaxico, all of Smithville; her granddaughter, Barbara Willow; her mother, Wanda Lynn Neal of Tupelo; and her brothers, James Robert Newcomb of Tupelo and Cary Michael Newcomb of Amory.
She is also survived by her stepdaughters, Hannah Foster and her husband, Conner, of Hawaii, and Izabella Kelly of Smithville; the father of her sons, Jimmy Plaxico (Brandi); and Derek Kelly (Nicole), who remained her dear friend and a loving stepfather to her sons.
Jennifer also leaves behind her beloved mother-in-law, Sandy Williams, who was known as “Mom” to her, and father-in-law, Wilbur Blough of Smithville; her brothers-in-law, Troy Kelly and his wife, Tamme, of Smithville, and Bradley Williams and his wife, Courtney, of Amory; and her sister-in-law, and “Sister in Heart”, Tonya Armstrong and her husband, Jeremy, of Smithville. She shared a particularly close friendship with Tamme Kelly, whom she considered her best friend & sister.
Jennifer is also survived by her chosen family, Medida and Songka Keopradit, Mason, and Tiffany, along with many beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family members, friends, and coworkers.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents, her father, Cary Dean Newcomb; her stepmother, Judith Newcomb; several aunts and uncles, her nephew Jeffery Holiday Jr. and her first grandchild, granddaughter Dovie Bell Foster.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, September 20, 2026, at McNeece-Morris Funeral Home in Mantachie, Mississippi. Visitation will be from noon until service time Sunday at the funeral home.
