Jean Courtney Kallet

Jean Courtney Kallet passed away peacefully with her family by her side in Louisville, Colorado on January 19th, 2015 after a long illness. She was 86 years old. The daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Harold Courtney, she was born on July 31, 1928 in Syracuse, NY where she also lived for 64 years.

Jean graduated from Cornell University in 1949 and received her Master of Science Degree from Syracuse University in 1964. Afterwards she taught for 28 years in the Syracuse Public School System, first at Nottingham High School and then at Lincoln Junior High School, where she taught home economics. As a teacher, her passion was preparing students with skills for raising children in a nurturing environment. She was tireless in her devotion to early childhood development earning a second Master’s Degree in the field from Syracuse University.

After retiring in 1992, Jean relocated to her beloved Blue Mt. Lake, NY where she resided for 20 years until relocating to Colorado. The Adirondacks had been her passion since childhood, which she shared with her father. These years were spent immersed in gardening and nature. She was active in various civic organizations including local gardening societies as well as serving on the board of directors for the Adirondack Museum.

Jean is survived by her husband of 60 years Richard Kallet (Louisville, CO), daughters Janet Kallet (Reno, NV), Karen Weiss (Boulder, CO), son Richard (San Francisco, CA), her brother Dr. Richard A. Courtney (Wilbraham, MA), two grandchildren Mickey Weiss and Molly Weiss (Boulder, CO), and several cousins and nieces. A private ceremony will be held at a future date. As was her wish, gestures in her memory should be directed towards charities that support children or wildlife such as the Make a Wish Foundation, UNICEF Fund for Children or the World Wildlife Fund.