Jean Lee Irvin

Jean Lee Irvin (Mother Irvin) was born May 18, 1920 to John McDonald and Grace Galloway at Fort Dearborn Hospital on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. She was the oldest of four siblings Violet Bragg and Mattie Murphy; they preceded her in death.

She attended DuSable High School and graduated in 1938. She attended junior college for three years to become an educator. As a youth, she was a member of Bethesda Baptist Church in Chicago. Jean moved to Washington, DC at the age of 22 and was employed by the Federal Government. She transferred to East Orange, New Jersey, worked for the Federal Government, and retired after 35 years. She married Levan Travis Irvin Sr. on January 21, 1943. In 1947, at the age of 26 the couple was blessed with a son Levan Travis Irvin Jr. (preceded her in death), they resided at 404 Amherst in East Orange, New Jersey where she resided for 56 years with her husband. He was called to glory in 1993; they were married over 50 years.

The couple were faithful members of Clinton United Presbyterian Church in Newark, New Jersey. Jean relocated in 1996 to Whittier, California where she resided with her son Travis and daughter-in-law Ellen. Jean joined Friendship Baptist church in Yorba Linda, California. She joined the adult choir and was a faithful attendee of the Tuesday night bible study.

In 2000, Jean along with her son and daughter-in-law, relocated to Henderson, Nevada. They joined Community Baptist Church in 2000. She was one of the original members of the Gospel Choir. In 2012, as her health started to decline, she relocated to Emeritus Assisted Living Facility, currently known as Brookdale Assisted Living Facility. She served as the treasurer of the Residence Board from 2012-2014. On her 100th birthday, she was asked what contributed to her longevity, “God’s love and Grace”. She then was asked what she wanted to do for her 100th birthday and she replied, “Take a cruise down Lake Mead”.

Her favorite hobby was word-find puzzles; she would say, “Keeps my mind sharp”. Prior to her failing health, she was very faithful by calling the sick and shut-in members of Community Baptist Church. Dining out and going to the movies were her pastime favorites. She was an honorary member of the Sisters Network Breast Cancer Group Las Vegas Chapter participating in all of their major events.

She is the grandmother of three, two grandsons and one granddaughter, and a great-grandmother of seven. She played the piano; loved to swim; dance (the two-step) and was a great storyteller. At the age of 83, she started travelling, and traveled to various parts of the United States and cruised five times total at the age of 90. Jean (Mother Irvin) was called home on July 16, 2021. She truly loved Community Baptist Church and considered it as her second family.

She leaves to mourn: her brother John McDonald and his wife Pam; grandsons Sean Irvin (Lyn) and Levan Irvin III; granddaughter Jena A. Parham-Irvin; daughter-in-law Ellen Bynum Irvin; nieces and nephews: Sharon and Billy, Anita and Cleveland, Sonya and Art, Donald and Vanessa, Mathew and Tanya, James and Melanie, Gwen and Randall, Andy Keys, David and Rebecca, Pam Bragg, Debbie and Carlton, David and Tamara; and a host of family and friends.