RICHMOND, Va. -- Kenneth "Kenny" Ellett, 33, of Petersburg, and John Jackson, 25, of Richmond, were loving and sweet, John's wife Jasmine said when asked about her husband and brother-in-law.
The brothers died Saturday afternoon on Lake Chesdin in Dinwiddie when their boat was involved in a collision on the water, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
Jackson and Ellett were fishing when they were killed.
While there was a bass fishing tournament going on that day, the brothers were not part of the competition, Jasmine said.
"He woke me up at 5:30 that morning before he left," Jasmine said. "I told him not to go. I was whining and asked if he could stay and we could get food. He promised we could go out to eat when he got home."
John, a John Marshall High School graduate, and Jasmine, who is a Henrico High School alum, were weeks away from celebrating their wedding anniversary.
They met six years ago through John's sister.
"I'll never forget his eyes and his smile. His smile could melt your heart," she said. "He's got a laugh that will drive you crazy, So loud and he won't stop."
She said John and Kenny were big jokers and loved to pull pranks on each other and on friends.
She said John was not an avid fisherman and the only time he went on the water was with his brother a couple of times a year.
Kenny, who worked at DuPont, and John, a plumber, were hard workers who loved their families.
Kenny was engaged with a 2023 wedding date set. John was going to be in the wedding.
"Since he's died, the outpouring of love has been incredible," Jasmine said. "So many people that knew him have come up to me to say how much they loved him."
While the investigation into the fatal boat crash remained under investigation, Jasmine said she was surprised when investigators said neither her husband nor brother-in-law was wearing a life jacket.
"He's normally so cautious," she said. "He wasn't really fond of boats. He'd get seasick."
Funeral arrangements for the brothers have not yet been finalized. Anyone interested in helping the family was asked to send donations, via CashApp to $Bracefacee10.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
