Jean H. Journey

Jean Harbison Journey, age 91, of Birmingham, passed away on Monday, June 22, 2026, at her home with her family present. She is preceded in death by her husband, Grover E. Journey; parents, Leonard and Eula McCarn Harbison, and a brother, Paul. She is survived by her sons, Edward Journey and Rick Journey; daughter-in-law, Jennifer Walker Journey; grandson, Truman Journey; brother, Lowell Harbison; several nephews and a niece.

She was born in Cullman County, Alabama, and her family moved to Birmingham when she was a teenager. In Birmingham, she met Grover E. Journey and they were married for 63 years. During their marriage, they lived in many American cities, spending over forty years in Tuscaloosa. Jean worked at a number of jobs through the years, but her passion was as a volunteer for civic and religious organizations. Jean was a dedicated and active volunteer, with Grover, in the Tuscaloosa City Council of PTAs and together they taught Sunday School classes for preschoolers at Circlewood Baptist Church for many years. Jean’s lifelong interest in young people was one of her defining characteristics.

The family will receive friends on Friday, June 26, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Elmwood Chapel Funeral Home with a Celebration of Life following at 2:00 p.m. Dr. Herbert Thomas will officiate. Burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery. In her final weeks, Jean worried that it had been a while since she sent donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama. A memorial donation to either of those organizations would be a fitting tribute to Jean’s life.