Jean Ford

Jean was a ray of sunshine who always looked on the bright side. Her eccentric (and sometimes unintentional) sense of humor shined through, whether she was trimming the hedges with an electric knife, making meatloaf with Lucky Charms or sending the dog for a spin on the lazy Susan. When called on her shenanigans, she would frequently laugh until she cried.

A dedicated daily walker, Jean had a difficult time holding still. She was perpetually in motion, even bouncing her foot while “resting” on the couch. On a trip to Italy when she was 80, she walked nearly seven miles some days. If you couldn’t keep up, you had better get out of the way.

Jean loved her three daughters, their families and friends, and most of all, she was John’s best girl for 61 years. They were married Feb. 4, 1956 and were partners in crime from that day forward. They spent much time in their retirement years volunteering at Crossroads Village and several local senior centers together.

Jean enjoyed quilting, making baskets and painting the Santas that John carved. She collected dishes, and happily combed thrift shops looking for sets fit for all occasions. She was also an avid rescuer of chairs, taking them from trash pile to treasure by refinishing, re-caning and reupholstering them. Jean was a voracious reader and enjoyed membership in her book clubs.

A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Jean was a teacher and substitute in the Flint and Flushing school systems. In her later years, she delighted in telling adults she met in professional situations that she knew how naughty they had been in third grade. Both her students and children believed her when she said she had eyes in the back of her head.

She is survived by daughters Julia (James) Edwards of Flushing, Anne (Ed) Stych of Huntersville, N.C. and Beth Ford of Chicago; grandchildren Lisa (Ryan) Korby, Caitlin (Nate) McKenzie, Joe (Erin) Stych, Ellen Stych and John Stych; brothers Russ (Cathy) Braden and Frank (Dar) Braden; great-grandchildren Harper and Emersyn Korby and Max McKenzie; and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral mass will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Robert Catholic Church, 310 S. Cherry St., Flushing. Visitation will be from noon to 7 p.m. Thursday at Reigle Funeral Home, 5501 W. Pierson Rd., Flushing, and again at church, one hour prior to mass, beginning at 10 a.m.