Gallery • 2 Photos

Jennifer Callaghan ’02, MBA ’09, with Kevin Callaghan ’02, MBA ’09, and their three kids. PHOTOS COURTESY OF KEVIN CALLAGHAN ’02, MBA ’09

Kim Brand met Jennifer (Sheehan) Callaghan ’02, MBA ’09, in the same neighborhood where their daughters became friends and when they both started coaching for the Cherry Hill Youth Field Hockey.

“Her face would light up anytime that field hockey was involved,” Brand remembered.

Callaghan, a food marketing major who started the first club field hockey team at St. Joe’s, died of cancer Dec. 9, 2025 at the age of 45.

After playing field hockey at Paul VI High School, in Haddonfield, New Jersey, Callaghan was a walk-on for St. Joe’s field hockey team. At the end of that year, the coach told her she likely wouldn’t get playing time the next season, so Callaghan made the decision to leave the team.

But Callaghan wasn’t done with field hockey. She had a point to prove: No matter the experience level, anyone who wanted to work and play hard should have the opportunity.

In 1999, at the start of her sophomore year, Callaghan collected enough signatures to start the university’s first club field hockey team. The team practiced on Sweeney Field and traveled to play games. With limited resources, they relied on uniform cast-offs from the Division I team.

Callaghan also met her husband, Kevin Callaghan ’02, MBA ’09, while at St. Joe’s. Callaghan played on the men’s lacrosse team.

Kevin Callaghan said Jennifer Callaghan had a passion for bringing out the best in people, especially on the field hockey field.

“If somebody’s never played before or [she] sees someone’s frustrat[ed], she’s going to take time out of hers and make sure that that person has the best experience of their life,” Kevin Callaghan said.

While studying abroad in London during her junior year, Callaghan met Carolyn Falini ’02. After being randomly assigned as roommates in London, the two chose to room together when they returned to campus. Their instant connection sparked a lifelong friendship.

Falini described Callaghan as “the perfect combination of someone you would have in a friend.”

Callaghan, Fallini said, had a knack for bringing people together. Whether she was coaching, picking up dinner for the carpool, seeing cover bands or painting, Callaghan made others feel connected. Callaghan also owned a small online business, Kylie’s Kreations — Quality Furniture Reimagined, where she flipped antique furniture with chalk paint. Family and friends came together one last time for her funeral, which drew more than 3,000 people, Kevin Callaghan said.

“She really lived life to the fullest, and she was always creating these opportunities for groups to come together,” Falini said.

Callaghan’s neighbor, Kate McMahon, said no matter what Callaghan was doing — and she was always doing a lot — she made everyone feel seen.

“When you were in her presence, she gave you all of herself,” McMahon said.

The club field hockey team that Callaghan started in 1999 continues today. The club has qualified for the National Field Hockey League Championships multiple times, most recently in fall 2024.

Tricia Nicoletti ’27, co-captain and vice president of the club, said she is grateful to have the opportunity to play a sport simply for fun, and would convey that gratitude to Callaghan if she could.

“Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to be able to do something that we love,” Nicoletti said.