Ida Jean Kozek

In the early morning hours of Saturday, February 28, Jean Kozek peacefully left this world to reunite with her beloved mother and father. Just shy of her 80th birthday, Jean was small in stature but mighty in spirit; a force of warmth, indomitable in character, and fiercely loyal.

Jean lived boldly and with curiosity. She never met a Conan Doyle mystery she didn’t love, a Jack London story and novels by Dean Koontz and J. A. Jance. She somehow mastered the bewildering ability to navigate a road trip with a paper atlas, alternately reading aloud a favorite Pinkwater tale about lizard musicians, all the while smoking a cigarette as the family crisscrossed the country. Those drives were filled with adventures, national parks, museums, snorts of laughter, and the halcyon memories only a loving mother (and father?) could provide.

She delighted in pleasures like a good meal, a great glass of wine, a pint of Guinness , lively conversation, and celebrations big and small. Jean’s effortless gift for connection meant there were no strangers, only friends you hadn’t met, and could strike up a conversation with anyone, leaving them happier for experience. Her circle stretched expansively, a testament to the kindness and authenticity she carried into every room. People really did tell her their life stories, sometimes while sharing a seat on a bus.

For more than 30 years, Jean devoted herself to education. Teaching was not just her profession but her passion. She believed deeply in the power of learning and in building a world worth fighting for. Her classroom was a place of inspiration, spirited discussion, and unyielding encouragement. Generations of students are better because she stood at the front of that room.

In retirement Jean played golf and loved to travel. Golf was something she did with her mother when she was younger and it gave her a chance to be outdoors and enjoy beautiful places, not caring about her score. She charmed and delighted people she met in her travels even when she didn’t speak their language.

Above all, Jean’s greatest joy was her family. She leaves behind her best friend and husband of more than 56 years, Melvin, whose partnership anchored her life; her daughters, Liz (John) and Andrea, who already miss her more than they felt possible; and a community of dear friends who will forever carry her stories, laughter, and fierce love with them.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks you honor Jean’s memory by supporting causes that brought her joy, filling both the mind and the spirit: the Detroit Zoo, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Oakland University, Hospice of Michigan and your local NPR or PBS stations.

Jean celebrated deeply and fought righteously, living singularly and meaningfully; in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: to laugh often and much; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better; to know that life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.