Jean Marie Downing

She is survived by her sisters Lee Coba (Octavio) and Barbara Varcie (John), nieces Elena Coba, Christina Coba, Kayleigh Varcie and Megan Varcie, nephew Joshua Varcie and devoted friend and caregiver Diamond McAllister. She was preceded in death by her parents, E. J. and Jane Downing.

Jean was born on May 25, 1955 in Detroit, Michigan. She attended Walled Lake Schools and graduated from Oakland University with a degree in Elementary Education, and a Certification in Bilingual Education. She later earned a master’s degree in Reading from Oakland University.

After graduation, Jean was employed by the Flint Community School District, teaching in the Bilingual program at Washington School. As a first-grade teacher, she shared her love of books, birds, and trains with her students. During her 25 years teaching, she taught hundreds of young students how to read.

Jean was a strong willed and determined person, which served her well through the many medical challenges she faced. But those challenges never kept her from accomplishing her goals. She liked travelling and she attended many World Wildlife Fund retreats, enjoying the outdoors and focusing on nature photography. She was an avid sports fan, following all the Detroit teams, but especially the Tigers and the Red Wings. She loved cookies, ice cream and chocolate peanut butter fudge.

Known as “Aunt Neaner” to her nieces and nephew, she was supportive of their endeavors and proud of their accomplishments. She spent many hours reading, playing board games and crafting with them. She was a proud spectator at their musical and sporting events.

Jean was a long-time resident of Commerce Township, but spent her last years at Sunrise of West Bloomfield, where she will be missed by staff and residents alike. She was well taken care of there and viewed it as her home. She filled her days reading, doing counted cross stitch, and taking an occasional trip to Leo’s Coney Island. She also enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, playing bingo and watching The Price is Right.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, September 30, 2023, at 1:00 pm at Orchard Lake Community Church, Presbyterian, 5171 Commerce Road, Orchard Lake, Michigan 48324, where she was a long-time member.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made in memory of Jean Downing, to Mayo Clinic for Meningioma Tumor research. Donations can be made by phone, online or by mail:

Phone: Please call 1-855-852-8129 to talk with a Benefactor Service Associate who can facilitate a secure gift over the telephone.

Online: Please visit https://philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/donatemc and complete the online form.

· Under “Designate my gift to...”, please select the appropriate fund from the provided list or select “Other” and manually enter the intended designation.

· Under “Tribute Information” please indicate the gift is in memory of Jean Downing.

Mail: Checks can be written directly to Mayo Clinic and mailed to the following address:

Mayo Clinic

Department of Development

200 First Street SW

Rochester, MN 55905

· In the memo line of the check or in a separate note included in the mailing please indicate that the donation is in memory of Jean Downing and is for the purpose of Meningioma Tumor research.