Jennie Kane Gregory

Jennie Gregory, 74, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away on September 19, 2026, surrounded by her family. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 3rd, at 1:00 p.m. at Park Hill Christian Church in North Little Rock, with a reception at the church to follow.

Jennie was born on January 12, 1952, to Patricia and Richard Kane. One of four siblings, she grew up surrounded by family in Cincinnati, Ohio. She excelled in school and went on to pursue her education at The Ohio State University, where she ultimately earned a degree in physical therapy. During the course of her studies, she met David Gregory, with whom she would build a beautiful and full life after marrying and moving to the Arkansas where David was stationed in the Air Force. They learned to lean on one another as a young couple, and over time would grow to be loved and supported by friends, their church community, and chosen family.

Jennie devoted her professional life to the practice of physical therapy. She worked at St. Vincent Hospital in Little Rock, where she served as Director of Rehabilitation Services until her retirement in 2015. She was president of the State Board of Physical Therapy as well as the Arkansas delegate to the American Physical Therapy Association. Jennie was also involved with CAPTE, the organization responsible for accrediting physical therapy education programs, a role that afforded her the opportunity to travel across the country for on-site visits.

For all her personal and professional accomplishments, Jennie was most proud of her children, Laura and James. Both excelled academically and participated in a wide range of sports-related and extra curricular activities, keeping family life busy and calendars full. Laura ultimately followed in her mother’s footsteps, earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and, and for a time, working under Jennie's professional leadership as a physical therapist at St. Vincent. James completed his undergraduate degree before attending medical school at The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where Jennie remained involved through the parents’ club, assisting with leadership and fundraising efforts benefitting the students and school. After medical school, James moved to Oklahoma City for residency, where he ultimately settled and established a successful career as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon.

 Laura married David Munns in 2006 and James married Amy Freeman in 2009. In 2011, Caleb Munns, Jennie and David’s first grandson was born. In the years that followed, grandsons Jacob Munns and Logan Gregory joined the family, followed by Harper Gregory, their first and only granddaughter.

 Grandparenthood ushered in one of the most joyful stages of Jennie’s life and kept her busy, too. She routinely chauffeured and cared for her Arkansas grandchildren and never passed up an opportunity to travel to spend time with the “Oklahoma Gregorys.” While Jennie held high standards of behavior and achievement for herself and her children, she delighted in the unpredictable and often unfiltered shenanigans of her grandchildren. That affection extended to a vast group of “honorary grandchildren”- dozens of young ones that she loved and nurtured over the years. Jennie loved trips to the Colorado mountains for snow skiing, visiting the beach, Disney World, and family trips of all kinds. She also enjoyed simpler pleasures: reading, gardening, working crosswords, word searches and sudoku puzzles, and watching game shows and sporting events.

 One thing Jennie did not enjoy was idle time. She had what our family jokingly referred to as “The Go-Go Gene.” She never met a dirty dish, a pile of laundry, or a project she wouldn’t rather finish than relax in the presence of it. She channeled that seemingly endless productive energy into a life of service to others, a quality that remained constant even as she faced breast cancer in younger adulthood and chronic respiratory illness that worsened later in life.

 Jennie leaves a legacy of compassionate service, born from her unwavering willingness to show up and care for others. She became a foundational member of the Park Hill Christian Church congregation, routinely working before, after, and behind the scenes. Over the years, she gave her time and energy to the church nursery, fellowship dinners, leadership and elders boards, holiday decorating, the food pantry, weddings, funerals, baby showers, and countless charitable projects. If something needed to be done, Jennie could be counted on to be there doing it.

Jennie lifted so many of us up during her time on earth, and certainly earned the heavenly rest that was waiting for her on the other side of this lifetime.

 Jennie is survived by her husband, David Gregory; Her Daughter, Laura (Gregory) Munns, and son-in law David Munns; Her son, James Gregory, and daughter-in-law Amy (Freeman) Gregory; her grandchildren, Caleb Munns, Jacob Munns, Logan Gregory, and Harper Gregory; her sister, April Kane Lewallen; and her brother, Richard “Rick” Kane.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Patricia Kane, and her sister, Carol Tumey.