Natasha Marie Jeanniton-Reed, 36, lost her life to a tragic automobile accident on the afternoon of Oct. 28, 2025. Natasha, or as we call her, Tash, was the middle child of the late Frantz (Frankie) Jeanniton and Mary Farinick-Jeanniton of Hamden. She leaves behind the four loves of her life, her children Deakin Thompson of Walton, Thalia Jeanniton, Hazel Reed and Athena Reed of Hamden.
Tasha was the kind of person who had a smile for everyone, and everyone knew Tasha. She had the biggest heart, always willing to help so many people. Tasha was a great cook who had a full life in the hospitality industry. She grew up in her parents’ restaurant, cooking alongside her dad, Frankie, who himself was an amazing chef. Tasha was 7 years old when she started learning how to cook in a restaurant. When Tasha was 21, she became head cook and helped her mother and sister Nicole run West 38, two years after her father passed away. She then had a career cooking, bartending and serving at various restaurants throughout the county. Her last employment was with the Schoolhouse Inn & Restaurant in Downsville. She also was employed by Urban Cowboy Lodge in Big Indian as a hotel auditor, working two jobs while raising her children as a single parent. Besides working for other businesses, she had her own catering and cake decorating business. She had catered for many of her friends’ large weddings, and also made many cakes for people throughout the area, to make sure their celebrations were a little sweeter. Tasha was proud of the pop-up dinner she did recently for the 15-year anniversary of her dad’s passing this summer at the Schoolhouse restaurant. She prepared many of her father’s specials he cooked at their family restaurants. Former customers came to enjoy her dad’s food, such as lobster bisque, chicken and salmon Florentine, jambalaya, Cajun chicken and stuffed shrimp, to name a few. They all savored the amazing taste of her father’s food and more pop-up dinners were in the works.
Besides working in the hospitality industry, Natasha volunteered to coach her girls’ youth soccer teams. Tasha was on Downsville Central School’s undefeated Girls State Championship team in 2005. She was very proud to be on that team and recently talked about how it has been 20 years since that state game. She volunteered to do hair and makeup for the cast of the Andes school plays and was supposed to help with hair and makeup for her daughter Thalia’s play in a few days; instead, she will be there in spirit. Tasha went to BOCES in high school where she earned her cosmetology license and kept her license current. She did many local girls’ hair for proms and weddings. She loved to do up-dos. She also loved to color her hair, blaming BOCES for teaching her because that was the start of Natasha’s hair of many different colors during her short life. Pink, purple, red, blue - all the colors of the rainbow.
Natasha was predeceased by her father Frankie, maternal grandparents John and Barbara Farinick, uncle Charlie Farinick, and stepfather Ken Kokoszka.
She is survived by - in addition to her children and mother - her brother Christopher Jeanniton (Paula), nephews Charlie and Joey, of Collins; sister Nicole Jeanniton, nieces Madalyn, Nadia, and nephew Sawyer, of Hamden; her partner Jed Holmes, Andes; her second family Linda and Richard Walley, Kylie Walley, and Kacie and Jeff Thomas; her aunt Christine Farinick of Westerly, Rhode Island; uncles David Farinick of Pompton Plains, New Jersey and Bruce Farinick, (Pam); father of her two youngest daughters David Reed; stepbrothers and sisters Kenny (Peggy) Kokoszka and nephews Kaiden and Bentley; Genevieve Jeanniton (Frankie) Jones, Snowhill, North Carolina, Billy Jeanniton, Indian Trial, North Carolina; Michelle Jeanniton (Spencer) Garret, Indian Trial, North Carolina, plus many paternal aunts and uncles, cousins and nephews and nieces.
Calling hours will be held at the Courtney Funeral Home, 25 Townsend Street, Walton, Sunday, Nov. 9, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. with a service at 1 p.m. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Delhi American Legion, 41 Page Avenue, Delhi, at 2. Burial will take place privately at the family’s convenience.
Family and friends: send photos of Natasha for her kids and family to: tashasphotos123@gmail.com
Arrangements have been entrusted to Courtney Funeral Home, Walton. To leave a message of peace and comfort for Tasha’s family visit her online tribute at www.courtneyfh.com
