Jennifer Chiyu Kuo
September 5, 1959 - July 23, 2022
Jennifer Chiyu Kuo, born September 5, 1959 in New York City, was an intellectually curious, observant, independent and fun-loving spirit actively involved in her community in Pasadena after a thirty year career as an entertainment and corporate lawyer with O’Melveny, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Interscope Pictures and DreamWorks Animation Studios.
Jennifer’s parents, Frank and Dora (Lee) Kuo, emigrated from China to New York City as teenagers in 1950 after the Nationalist government fell as both of their fathers had served with the government. Jennifer and her brother Doug were raised in Honolulu, Hawaii after Frank became a professor at the University of Hawaii in 1966. Jennifer enrolled in the 2nd grade at Punahou School. Happy, active and out-going, she did well in school, often was the teacher’s pet and by the end of middle school, had sprouted to her full height of 5’11”. In 11th grade, she became the first junior at Punahou to be named editor-in-chief of her school newspaper. She attended Wellesley College as an English major, graduating in 1980 at age 20, interned for Hawaiian Congressman Danny Akaka for two summers during college and went straight through to NYU Law School, graduating in 1983.
Jennifer launched her legal career in Los Angeles with O’Melveny in 1984 after clerking for District Court Judges, Malcolm Lucas and Edward Huff. In the fall of 1986, Jennifer joined the film group at Columbia Pictures and began a long and successful career as an entertainment lawyer with Sony, TriStar Pictures, Interscope Pictures and DreamWorks. She did everything that studio lawyers do to support the production and distribution of motion pictures and developed particular expertise representing film studios and companies providing or contracting for special effects (then a new concept). Because of the breadth of her experience across production and special effects, she ultimately became co-head of the business and legal affairs group for Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment. Among the numerous titles in which she was intimately involved were “Kazaam”, “Stuart Little”, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”, “Surf’s Up” , “Starship Troopers” and “Trolls”. Ultimately, Jennifer’s unique expertise in special effects and animation landed her at DreamWorks.
Jennifer met Tom Baxter in the spring of 1986. Tom and Jennifer married in 1989 and their son, Charlie, arrived shortly thereafter in 1991. Charlie, their greatest joy, attended Polytechnic School in Pasadena and then Williams College, graduating in 2014. Jennifer’s first priority was as a mom actively devoted to her son Charlie’s activities, interests, and friends.
Jennifer was an always respectful independent thinker who listened first, and, as she was fond of saying, didn’t need to hear herself talk. She had a knack for making and keeping friends as well as an encyclopedic knowledge of old movies, Hollywood, the royals and 19th Century English novels, and she read Page 6 of the New York Post most every day. Upon retiring from the practice of law in 2013, Jennifer devoted her time to community and non-profit endeavors, serving as the President of both the Pasadena Art Alliance and Pasadena Town Club, as a trustee and member of the Executive Committee of Descanso Gardens, and on various committees at those organizations and the Valley Hunt Club.
She loved to play bridge, swim laps every day, hang out with her devoted Shiba Inu, Noli, travel to Europe and, of course, watch her favorite movies on TCM. Her favorite singer; Joni Mitchell, favorite author; Jane Austen, favorite city; Paris, and favorite comedy; Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein. Jennifer loved comedy movies, often would recite her favorite lines and family secret, was good at impersonations! She was a born editor and concise writer who would often script out beforehand exactly what she planned to say in meetings and would never tout any of her qualifications or accomplishments. She was memorably tall, dressed with color, flair, and elegance, and was looked up to as a leader.
Jennifer was unexpectedly diagnosed with uterine cancer earlier this year. She was big on life and unfortunately short on years. She passed away peacefully on July 23rd with family by her side and will forever be the guiding light of Tom and Charlie whom she loved so deeply.
Jennifer is survived by husband, Tom Baxter, son, Charlie, parents Frank and Dora Kuo, brother Doug, sisters in law, Nancy Baxter, Jinee Tao Baxter and Ann Baxter Perrin, bothers in law Charlie Baxter and Marc Perrin, nieces Lauren Baxter and Amelia Perrin, and nephews Will Baxter and Colin Perrin. Donations in Jennifer’s honor can be made either to the Pasadena Art Alliance at pasadenaartalliance.org, Descanso Gardens at descansogardens.org or a charity of your choice.