Jeanne Elizabeth English

Jeanne was born in Toledo, Ohio; the 2nd child of Dr. Leo English, Sr. and Elizabeth Baker English. She graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1938 and earned a B.A. from Mary Manse College, and a B.S. in Library Science from Case-Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She completed her Master’s degree in Education from Northwestern University.

Professionally, Jeanne worked for 12 years in Detroit Public School libraries and her stint in libraries also included a year long government GSS at the Smithsonian Institution Library in Washington, D.C. from 1950-1951. She retired in 1982 from Evanston Township High School where she worked for 12 years as the Audiovisual Services Department Chair. Retirement led her back to Toledo to care for her mother.

Jeanne made her move across country to California in 1984 and settled in Santa Clara, California. She spent five years as a volunteer, organizing from scratch the United Way of Santa Clara library. In 1990, for a presentation at the renaming dedication of the San Jose Public Library as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Main Library, she researched and produced a bound volume of news articles, programs and photos depicting the highlights of the Civil Rights Movement in San Jose. This volume, “People and Issues: Civil Rights in San Jose, the 60’s and 70’s” is on permanent open display at the library for everyone to read.

She quoted retirement as “I don’t work all the time; I paint a little, travel more than a little, write some and play bridge a lot. I’m also trying to self-publish a book of stories!” She was known as the family historian and spent much of her time researching her family’s history and recording it.

Jeanne was a devout Catholic and served in various ministries until her health declined. As one of her close friends said shortly after her death, “ We have a new saint in Heaven”. She is survived by her brother, Dr. Leo V. English and his wife Juanita of San Jose, California, four nephews, Leo English in Florida, Isaac English in San Jose, James English in San Jose and Paul English in San Francisco and their families including four great nieces and one great nephew, as well as several great-great nieces and nephews. A memorial mass for Jeanne will be held Friday, March 14th, 1:30 pm at St. John Vianney Parish, 4600 Hyland Avenue in San Jose, California.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the English-Coffey Scholarship Fund at Central Catholic High School in Toledo, Ohio:

2550 Cherry St, Toledo, OH 43608 ; (419) 255-2280.