Jean Kaufman Weil, age 90, passed away on August 20, 2012. Jean, “Mama”, or “Gaga”, as she was known to her grandchildren, was born in New York City on July 24, 1922. She attended school in New York and graduated from National Park Junior College, in Forest Glen, Maryland, in 1942.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, August 23 at 11:00 a.m. at Leak Memory Chapel, with Rabbi Elliot Stevens officiating. Visitation will begin at Leak Memory at 9:30 a.m.
After college, she returned to New York to work as a model for Bergdorf Goodman department store. A short time later, she attracted the eye of the love of her life, Adolph “Bucks” Weil, Jr. (d. 1995), while he was on business in New York.
In February 1947, the couple married, only several months after their introduction. Jean migrated south and wholeheartedly embraced her new southern identity. With Bucks, Jean reared three beloved children, Laurie, Jan and Andy. With her children, she reared her (equally, if not more so) beloved four legged children, her dogs Skeedy, Rembrandt, Oliver, and Dickens.
Jean was devoted to serving her Montgomery community. She was the longest acting Pink Lady at St. Margaret’s Hospital. Jean was a loyal supporter of the River Region United Way, the Montgomery Zoo, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Library of the Lower School at The Montgomery Academy, the Montgomery Humane Society, and the Temple Beth Or Sisterhood.
Jean enjoyed sharing the fruits of her labor as a needlepoint stitcher with her family and friends. She took tremendous pride in stitching the Torah covers for Temple Beth Or as well as covers for kneelers for the sanctuaries of area churches.
Elegant and regal, Jean embraced a full life, possessed a quick-witted sense of humor, an infectious laugh and a way of making people feel special. She was an avid reader, artist and tennis player, playing well in to her 80’s. Jean loved traveling and cherished vacationing in Cape Cod with her family and in Antigua with her husband and friends. She was an unabashed purveyor of the finer things in life: good music (Sinatra), good theater (“Mame”), good scotch (Dewar’s), and good friends (too numerous to list).
Jean was preceded in death by her husband, Adolph “Bucks” Weil, her parents, Ralph and Florence Kaufman and her brother, John. She is survived by her daughters Laurie Weil (Tommy Wool), Jan Weil (Amos Avgar) and son, Andy Weil (Lisa); five grandchildren: Josh Mandell (Mary Virginia), Charles, Drew Weil (Lauren), Amanda and Dustin; three great-grandchildren: Ella Frances, Ham and Mac Mandell, her brother-in-law, Robert S. Weil and many devoted nieces, nephews and cousins “by the dozens.”
The family expresses its deep appreciation to Roy Bradley, Hurlie Bowie, Lola Clay, Brenda Savage and the caregivers of Home Instead Senior Care, especially Diana Sullivan and Annie Ross, who provided devoted, faithful care to Mrs. Weil.
Memorial contributions may be made to any of the organizations mentioned above or to one’s favorite charity.
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