Flora Jean DeMatteo

May 3, 1936 - March 7, 2022

Flora “Jeanie” DeMatteo quietly passed away at the age of 85, lovingly surrounded by her daughters and son on the morning of March 7th, 2022, in Merced, CA.

She was born to Virginia Hortense Gough and Lonnie B Gough in Hartshorne, OK on May 3rd, 1936. Her early years were spent at the family’s home on their West Side apricot orchard in Los Banos, CA.

Jeanie was adventurous and she enjoyed all outdoor activities driven by her natural curiosity. She explored the many features of the ranch and surrounding range on foot and horse back. She came to Merced as a young adult where she transitioned from a tomboy to polished young woman ready for the local fashion runway while honing her skills as a bookkeeper, a craft she practiced for more than fifty years.

She was a devoted daughter, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt and friend with a deep abiding love for family and a love for laughter. She enjoyed cooking (famous for her cream pies), hosting family gatherings for all occasions at her immaculate home and lovingly tended garden. Her love of music, playing card games, and always entertaining sense of humor and contagious laughter will long be remembered. In her later years, Jeanie enjoyed the company of her widowed sister Margaret as the “Trinity and Sunset Sisters” looked after one another enjoying Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, and Golden State Warriors along with all the kids and dogs, including one plump Mr. Squirrel, an adopted backyard mascot.

Her parents, Lonnie and Virginia Gough, her husband, Joseph D. DeMatteo Sr., her son, Stephan L. Sprague, preceded her in death. She is survived by her daughters Virginia “Ginger” Taylor (William), Toni Jones (Tom) all of Merced, Lonna Floyd (David) of Atlanta, GA, and a son, Joseph D. “Danny” DeMatteo, Jr. of Winton, CA. Her beloved sisters, Minnie Belle Buck and Margaret S. Wilson, with whom many family occasions and vacations were shared through the years. Jean was blessed with eleven grand children, eighteen great grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren and several nieces and a nephew.

The family is bound by her unconditional love. We are grateful for the care and kindness Jeanie received from Bristol Hospice and Pacifica Care. Her memory will be celebrated on Thursday, March 24 at 11:30 am at Stratford Evans Merced Funeral Home. The interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, consider a charitable donation of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.stratfordevansfunerals.com for the DeMatteo family.