Wendy W. Jenkinson died on July 17 after a heroic 13-month battle with Glioblastoma, a virulent brain cancer. She was 45. Wendy died at her home in West Tisbury with her husband Patrick by her side.

She was born on Dec. 20, 1962 in White Plains, N.Y., the first daughter to Suzanne Steinfeld Weisman and Hugh Stix Weisman. Wendy’s attachment to Island life began soon after birth. Although not actually born in Hawaii, Wendy came to Honolulu at two weeks of age with the name of Wendy Leilani. She lived the first two and a half years of her life there.

The family later lived in Scarsdale, N.Y., where Wendy grew up and attended school. She attended Hampshire College and also the Cordon Bleu Cooking Academy in London.

Her parents had a long association with the Vineyard and Chilmark, where her father first vacationed with his parents in a cabin without running water or electricity on Robinson’s Hill in 1947. She first came to the Vineyard in the summer of 1966. She summered for the next 20 years with her family in Chilmark, becoming a year-round resident of the Vineyard after graduating from the Cordon Bleu in 1988. She worked as a sous chef in a variety of Vineyard kitchens including Andrea’s, Warriner’s and Latanzzi’s. In 1990, she married Hollis Smith of Aquinnah and their daughter, Marguerite, was born in 1991. She married Patrick Jenkinson of West Tisbury in 1996, and their son Wyatt was born in 1998.

Wendy loved to cook and food was her passion. In fact, it was Wendy’s cooking that introduced her to Patrick. She had a lunch drop-off business where Patrick was a regular customer and a few sandwiches later, they fell in love. They were married on Nov. 2, 1996 in West Tisbury.

As much as Wendy loved cooking, her primary and favorite job was being a mom to her children Marguerite and Wyatt. She always talked about them and spent any free time with them whether it was at the beach or shuttling Marguerite to dance with Wyatt in tow. These children were the light of Wendy’s life and everyone knew it. Wendy loved to laugh and talk with her friends and family. She enjoyed reading books, going to the movies and the beach.

After years of working in other peoples’ restaurants, Wendy started her own popular and successful catering company, Periwinkle Catering. She surrounded herself with good hardworking people. Sisters and friends alike, they worked in the weeds together. She met some very special people through her work. She genuinely enjoyed her job and the people she worked for. Wendy just fit well in any kitchen. She became part of their family.

We were all lucky to have her in our lives.

She is survived by her husband Patrick T. Jenkinson and her two children Wyatt Avery Jenkinson and Marguerite Susan Smith. She is also survived by her parents, Suzy and Hugh Weisman, her sisters, Alexandra Weisman and Jennifer Sullivan and her family. She will also be greatly missed by Joan and Pat Jenkinson and Holly Bario and her family.

All are invited to a celebration of her life tomorrow, July 26 at 2 p.m. at Bliss Pond Farm off North Road, also known as the Windmill at the Flanders Farm in Chilmark. The Weisman family will host a celebration of Wendy’s life on August 23 at the Chilmark Community Center.

The Weismans have also announced that a scholarship fund will be established for a student in culinary arts at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. Details will be released at a later date.

A Facebook group has been created in celebration of Wendy’s life for people to share their feelings and thoughts, see and contribute photographs and videos. Go to Facebook.com and search for Wendy Weisman Jenkinson (1962-2008).