Mrs. Jeanne Yarrow Palyok, 97, passed away Friday, August 12, 2022. Born in Asheville, N.C., she was the daughter of late Andrew Edward and Madeleine Jallais Yarrow. She taught French at Dreher High School for many years.
Her father fought in France in World War I, where he fell ill and later died from his illness in North Carolina. Her mother, who spoke very little English, sent her and her older brother to France to live with her grandmother. There she spent her childhood with her grandmother, aunt and her two French cousins. Her mother later returned to France and took her back to live in North Carolina.
After graduating from high school, Jeanne went to the Women’s College of the University of N.C. in Greensboro, where she majored in French. She graduated in 1945 and having heard that the U.S. State Department was looking for two French/English bilingual persons for positions at the American Embassy in Paris, she went for an interview. However, she was not accepted since she was only 20 years old, and the minimum age requirement was 21 years old. However, after considering her qualifications and her desire, they waived the age requirement, and was hired.
After about one year at the Embassy, she found an assignment with the military in Paris, where she met her husband, John, an American lieutenant. Following a short courtship, they were married in Paris. They were then assigned to Cherbourg, in Normandy, France where she worked for AGRC, American Graves Registration Command. Because of her husband’s service, her family relocated several times until they settled in Columbia, SC in 1960, where John served at Fort Jackson until his retirement in 1962.
Mrs. Palyok became involved in teaching French at Dreher High School for 18 years. For 13 summers, she escorted third year SC high school students on a seven-week study tour of France. She enjoyed educating the young students about the sacrifices that were made so that their lives could be free.
In 1979, Mrs. Palyok resigned from Dreher High School to work at Pal Travel, an agency started by her and her son, Mike, in 1976. On the 40th anniversary of D-Day in 1984, she organized a trip for WWII veterans and other interested persons to follow the route of battles during the war. This three-week long trip started in London and continued to Normandy, Paris, Luxembourg to Bastogne, where the Battle of the Bulge occurred, then on to Germany down the Rhine River and ended in Frankfurt. In 1994, the 50th anniversary, she organized a shorter trip for veterans, interested persons and the Columbia College Orchestra, who gave a concert in the chapel of Ste Mère-Église.
In 1999, at the age of 76, she started Foreign Academic & Cultural Exchange Services, Inc. (FACES) with her son, Rick, bringing foreign teachers to South Carolina to exchange cultural experiences with SC and other countries.
In 2014, at 90, she formed Overlord70, a 501 c3 nonprofit to raise money to take 22 WWII Veterans, most of whom landed at Omaha Beach, back to the Normandy cemetery for the 70th anniversary of D-Day and to meet President Obama.
She went by many different names. Madame Palyok to her students, Mrs. P to business colleagues and associates, but she was Mom to her three sons and Grand-mère to her 11 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren. More than anything, Jeanne’s pride and joy was her family. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren fondly remember her frequent Sunday night family dinners, birthday movie days, trips to France to meet family, and her freshly baked chocolate chip cookies always ready when they came to visit.
Surviving are her sons, John Richard Palyok (Pamela Mode) Michael Andrew Palyok (Mary Kay), Ronald George Palyok (Anne); eleven grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her first husband, John Palyok Jr.; second husband, James Keen; two grandchildren, Timothy Lynch Palyok, Michael Wayne Ford; her brother, Andrew Yarrow and sister, Jackie Yarrow.
A Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be on Thursday, September 8th at 5:00 p.m. with visitation to follow until 8:00 p.m. at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel. A Mass will be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Friday, September 9th at 12:00 noon with a reception afterward.
Memorials may be made to Midlands Holy Family Fund, PO Box 61078, Columbia, SC 29260 or South Carolina Philharmonic, 1704 Main Street, Suite 100, Columbia, SC 29201.
Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.
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