Jean Evelyn Persson
On the morning of August 4, 2019, our dear mom passed away, peacefully at Overlake Hospital, of natural causes at the age of 93, with her daughter Karin at her side.
She was a very kind and gentle soul; a true and wonderful friend to all. Jean had friends of all ages and from every walk of life.
Jean had decades-long friends and friends of only a few months. No matter how long the acquaintance, she made each person feel very special. Over the course of her life, she was a prolific letter writer, sending her love to dear friends in each state where she lived and to pen pals in Japan and Sweden.
She wrote thousands of letters and cards over the years and they were legendary. People always commented on how thoughtful her letters and cards were and that they loved getting them. She also wrote poems, which would sometimes accompany the letters and cards.
Jean was born May 13, 1926, in San Francisco and spent the first years of her life in Paradise, CA. At age seven, the family moved to Reno, Nevada. Growing up, she was active in Rainbow Girls. She attended the University of Nevada, where she was a member of the Tri-Delta Sorority. Jean remained life-long friends with many from her school days.
Jean married Albert Persson on April 13, 1946. Due to job relocations, they lived in Nevada, Iowa, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas before eventually settling on Mercer Island in 1966. They lived there for the next 30 years, where they raised their three children, Eric, Karin and Jon.
Jean joined the P.E.O. Sisterhood 73 years ago and has been an active member ever since. She was a beloved member of Chapter FH Mercer Island ever since her move to the area.
Prior to having children, she worked many different jobs to help put her husband through school and beyond. A notable one was as a flight attendant for ATA, an airline in the early days of aviation.
Family meant everything to Jean. She loved being a mom. She was a wonderful cook and baker, always making cookies, cakes and pies. She enjoyed baking for birthdays and holidays, especially Christmas. She was also a wonderful hostess for big or small parties and loved having friends drop by for coffee.
Jean cherished the family trips to Harrison and Sol Duc hot springs, where they tried to soak away the damp chill of Northwest weather. She also loved their ski outings to Crystal Mountain.
After her children were raised, Jean completed medical assistant training at Lake Washington Institute of Technology. She worked for several professional medical offices on Mercer Island and Bellevue over the next 20 years. Jean was a caring and friendly presence at each medical office, where she also made some life-long friends.
Jean had many interests. She took a variety of classes and also developed a myriad of hobbies over the years, including Chinese cooking, cake decorating, knitting and beading.
She also loved to read and long participated in a book club of close friends, Between the Covers. She was also a long-time member of Bible Study Fellowship. She had an active faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jean was preceded in death by her youngest son, Jon. She is survived by her husband, Al, and their children, Eric and Karin, cousin Joanne Grace, niece Lynn Persson, and four grandchildren – Sam Wolcott and Stephen, Rachel and Sarah Persson.
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