Jean T Makepeace

22 Feb 1917 - 24 July 2012

Jean Thompson Makepeace (Mrs. Lloyd Makepeace) is survived by her two children, Marilyn and William (Bill). She was 95 years old and died peacefully at home.

Jean "Tommy" Thompson was born upstairs at home on Parsonage Rd in Greenwich, CT and her first crib was a bureau drawer. She and Lloyd Makepeace were married on 22 May 1948 in the living room of that same house.

Mom went to the Greenwich Academy through 9th grade and then to Miss Porter's School in Farmington, CT. She graduated in 1934 and spent the next year studying art history in Florence, Italy. She always said it was one of the best years of her life.

During the war Mom worked at Chance Vought (later Sikorsky Aircraft) in Stratford, CT after which she worked at Metallurgy Labs followed by two years at Pan American Airways. She quit Pan Am to get married and legend has it that they had to hire 3 people to replace her.

When she and Dad were first married Mom didn't know how to cook so Dad taught her how to cook an egg. She took that, ran with it and cooking became her lifelong passion. She was one of the original foodies. Growing up we were on the receiving end of that passion.

Mom was a lifelong member of the Junior League of Greenwich, President of the Greenwich Academy Alumnae Association 1957/1958 and until recently she was class secretary for her Greenwich Academy class. In the 60's she volunteered at Greenwich Hospital. Mom had a wonderful ear for music, loved going to the Philharmonic and went to Avery Fisher Hall every other Friday for decades. She loved summers on Martha's Vineyard and one of her favorite things was going to the beach for an ocean swim. After we grew and flew, Mom and Dad enjoyed world travel; one of the best trips was a family photo Safari to East Africa. In recent years life was all about desert; her favorite was ice cream and cookies.

Mom lived life with great enthusiasm and she was full of energy and determination. Everything she did she did well. For those who got it, she had a wicked sense of humor. She was feisty, fiercely independent and dignified to the very last.

A graveside service will be held at the family plot in Granby, CT at a later date.

In leu of flowers please consider a donation in Mom's memory to The Greenwich Academy Annual Fund or to Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church in Greenwich, CT to benefit the music program.

To leave an online condolence please visit www.leopgallaghergreenwich.com