Jean Loretta Blackburn

Born near Alburtis, PA to Foster and Katie Litschke on 10-23-1928, one of 5 children, Richard and Arthur and Evelyn (all deceased) she is survived by her sister Pauline Reinhard. Raised in a 2-story house without indoor plumbing the girls had to carry water from a stream in a bucket for cooking and bathing. The family never owned an automobile.

She graduated from High School and went directly into nursing school where she graduated in 1949. Her proud father took her to school that first day but sadly never lived to see her graduate. A visiting Doctor recruiting nurses for the Park City Miners' Hospital was impressed with her skills and invited Jean to come to Utah. So this shy country girl, who had never gone to a high school dance or participated in any after school activity, had never traveled further that Allentown came alone to Utah in 1949. Upon arriving in SL, she thought she had arrived in PC. Imagine her surprise! She settled in at the Miners' Hospital and eventually met and married Joe Davich. In time, she began working at Holy Cross Hospital in SLC where she was a surgical nurse for Dr. Alan Crandall. Her career spanned some 5 decades of selflessly giving of herself to others. In 1974 she and Joe bought the Millbrook house. In 1975 Joe died in his sleep leaving Jean a widow with a mortgage and not knowing how to drive a car. Devastated but indomitable, Jean hired a driving instructor and bought her first car. A working widow for 27 years she set about to extensively remodel her home. In the late 1990's she met her future husband Richard Geoffrey Blackburn when he moved in across the street from her. They became acquainted one snowy day when Geoffrey looked out his window and saw Jean slip and fall while shoveling her driveway and rushed to her assistance. Over time they became friends helping each other with various chores around each other's houses. In 2009, they were married. Jean loved to garden and was always busy.

Jean and Geoffrey had many great adventures together traveling on numerous photo expeditions in the outback to capture the "honey light" for Geoffrey's paintings. Always prepared never complaining, the ever-organized Legendary Nurse was always on top of it-the perfect traveling companion and fellow adventurer. And the best friend and wife a man ever had! Friends may call Monday, July 7th at 2:00 p.m. at Evans and Early Mortuary, 574 E. 100 S., SLC. A graveside memorial will be held at 3:00 p.m. at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 S. Highland Drive.