Gennelle Renee Rucker passed away July 23, 2026, at the age of 60, after a brief illness.
She was born Feb. 17, 1966, in Tinton Falls to Rufus and Barbara Rucker. True to Gennelle’s free-spirited nature, she did not start talking until she was about 2 years old. Her first verbalizations were in complete sentences – and she never stopped talking!
That outspoken curiosity allowed her to be deeply involved in everything she encountered. At church, she sang in the junior choir, was an active member of the youth group, and served as one of the church’s first female acolytes. It was also through church that she found her true calling while assisting a fellow member who served children with special needs.
When it came time to attend college, Gennelle chose the University of Iowa, where she majored in special education and graduated in 1989. That same year, she began her career as a special education teacher at her alma mater, Monmouth Regional High School. Gennelle deeply loved her students. She was an innovative, enthusiastic teacher who was constantly finding creative ways to make learning engaging and fun. Gennelle developed and led several new initiatives at Monmouth Regional, including a grant-funded summer transition program where incoming seniors helped prepare freshmen for high school. She ran this program successfully for several years and also served as an Affirmative Action Officer for the district.
Shortly after returning from college, Gennelle moved to Asbury Park, where she lived until taking a year-long sabbatical to pursue master’s coursework in African Studies at Columbia University in New York City. Upon completing her studies, she returned to Asbury Park, where she resided for the past 24 years.
Music was Gennelle’s ultimate joy. At any given moment, she could be found listening to her favorite tracks, attending concerts or transcribing lyrics that touched her heart. She also had a passion for writing poetry, often gifting personalized poems to family and friends on special occasions.
Additionally, Gennelle was a loyal Nike brand enthusiast: head to toe, every single day, she was proudly wearing something Nike.
Gennelle was preceded in death by her father, Rufus, as well as many beloved aunts and uncles. She is survived by her mother, Barbara; her sister, Barbet; two nephews; a niece; and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins and dear friends who will miss her profoundly.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11 at Luther Memorial Church in Tinton Falls. She will later be interred at Holmdel Cemetery and Mausoleum.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Gennelle’s honor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org.
The article originally appeared in the July 30 – August 5, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
