Jeanne Lloyd Locher

Jeanne Lloyd Locher was born in 1961 in Paris, France to Dr. Paul R. and Anne Farrelly Locher; she passed away on November 22, 2020 at her home in Washington, DC. Her loss is a profound sorrow for her seven brothers and sisters, her extended family, and for her colleagues in the District of Columbia government, where she actively contributed to work in community affairs for the past two decades.

Jeanne lived her life with grit, determination and unwavering commitment to her chosen causes, the same qualities which are attributed to her namesake Sainte Jeanne D’Arc (Joan of Arc), the famous national symbol of France. The third youngest of eight children, she was a lifetime resident of Washington DC, growing up in the Spring Valley neighborhood, and attending Annunciation and Georgetown Visitation Preparatory Schools. She graduated from Chestnut Hill College with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

Jeanne was renowned for her athleticism and team spirit. She impressively won the doubles competition for the National Junior Tennis League when she was 13 years old, with the final played at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens, NY. She enjoyed coaching tennis, and playing team sports in high school and college. A great adventure for Jeanne was cycle touring in Europe in the mid-1980s with her sister Helen. This adventurous year covered more than 15 countries and included cycling from Ireland all the way across Europe to the eastern border of Turkey, travelling on the Orient Express train to go behind the Iron Curtain, hiking in the Swiss Alps, and trekking by camel in the Sahara Desert.

Throughout her life, Jeanne loved the outdoors, gardening, and walking. She never failed to enthusiastically join any outdoors activity on offer. Following closely in her mother’s footsteps, Jeanne developed a keen and lifelong interest in healthy living, organic produce and cooking. In her 20’s this translated into involvement with the local food co-op while at the same time working as a prep and line cook at Somethyme, the first vegetarian and organic restaurant in Durham, NC.

For the past 20 years, Jeanne dedicated herself to her work as a public servant for the Washington, DC government. She was a valued team member in the offices of Ward One Councilmember Jim Graham, the DC Mayor’s Office of Latino Affairs, and most recently the DC Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs. She was honored to represent Community Affairs on the Age-Friendly DC task force, a collective-action effort whose goal is to ensure that all DC residents are connected, healthy, and engaged in their environment.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote that Jeanne “was the textbook definition of what it means to be a true and great public servant and leaves behind a remarkable and enduring legacy of service. Jeanne always had a kind word to offer. We will miss her kindness, professionalism, and good heart." John J. Falcicchio, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, wrote: "We are forever grateful to Jeanne Locher and her dedication to the residents of the District of Columbia. We all should emulate her perseverance, work ethic and kindness. We are each blessed to have had her in our

lives.” During a recent video memorial service with over 100 of her colleagues attending, Rev. Donald Isaac, former Director of Religious Affairs for the Mayor’s Office, reflected that "Jeanne was an impressive connector, communicator, committed Christian, and child of God." Jeanne’s managers and coworkers again and again remarked on Jeanne’s warmth, patience, and tireless service to constituents. She was known for her big hugs, warm smiles, sweetness and enthusiasm, and for always having an encouraging word: “You can do it”, “You’ll be okay”, “I love you.”

In her mother’s later years, Jeanne was a devoted companion. She was a loving sister, and is survived by her seven siblings: Lisa Wick Kaminski of Mercer Island, WA; Jock Wick (Molly Drake) of Carrboro, NC; Bernard Locher (Aude) of Manosque, France; Paul Locher of Silver Spring, MD; Marianne Locher Calhoun (Peter) of Granite Bay, CA; Helen Locher (Edward Piket) of Hobart, Australia; Beatrice Locher Mango (Christopher) of Jacksonville, FL; plus fifteen nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her aunts Lisa Farrelly O’Brien of Waite Hill, OH and Mimi Farrelly Hansen of Longmont, CO and her uncle Louis Farrelly of Bernardsville, NJ, as well as many extended Locher family relatives.

Due to the limitations required by the current pandemic, Jeanne's family, friends and colleagues have been virtually sharing both their grief and their memories of her life. At a later date the family will gather for a private burial in the family crypt at Saint Catharine's Church in Spring Lake, New Jersey.

Friends and family wishing to honor Jeanne’s life with a gift are invited to make a donation to Green Door, an organization that provided critical and much appreciated support services at various challenging stages of Jeanne's life. Donations to Green Door should be made out to MBI Research Institute, Inc. [EIN: 46-2250067] and mailed to MBI Research Institute, 4130 Hunt Place NE, Washington, DC 20019.