Jean Olmstead Cole

Jean Olmstead Cole of Burke, Virginia passed away peacefully on Friday, June 21, 2019, in her home, surrounded by her family. She was born in Alexandria Hospital on July 24, 1956, the third of three girls born to Normand and Joan Olmstead. Jean attended Thomas Edison High School and George Mason University. She had a long and successful career with P.U.R. and retired in 2016 when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

Jean was a beautiful, strong, talented, loving, intellectual. She had a big personality and always spoke up for what she believed in. She loved the beach and enjoyed many vacations with friends and family to the Outer Banks. She loved music, it always filled her home, she had great musical abilities, and she would frequently go out for a live show. She loved watching sports and was a passionate fan of her Washington teams. She loved art and her artistic abilities run in her family. She loved to read, finished at least 52 books every year and wrote over 300 book reviews on Goodreads. She loved animals, especially her big dogs. She loved her many friends, was a great storyteller, and always the life of the party. She loved her husband, Richard, and they were happily married for over 33 years. More than anything, she loved her kids, Gregory and Jacquelyn. She was fiercely protective of them and will continue to look after them from her special place in Heaven.

Jean fought cancer with unimaginable strength. She beat breast cancer, and bravely battled leukemia for years even after she was given only months. She was a “badass shut-yo-mouth” and is an inspiration to all who knew her.

Jean Olmstead Cole is survived by her husband Richard Abbott Cole, her two children Gregory Olmstead Cole and Jacquelyn Patricia Cole, her sisters, Judy Olmstead Foxwell and Susan Olmstead Douffas, a large extended family, and countless friends.

Donations honoring Jean should be made to the ASPCA.