Jessie Margaret Lahm, of Sun Lakes, Arizona, age 99, ended her journey on this Earth Thursday, March 4, 2021, with her son Tom at her side. She was born October 12, 1921 in Covington, Kentucky to Mary Dorothy Due, née Whelan, and Clarence Alphonse Due.
Jessie had known her future husband, Robert George Lahm, since childhood but they did not begin dating until their mid-20s. They were married on August 27, 1947 at Mother of God Church in Covington, Kentucky. Robert and Jessie celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary in Sun Lakes, Arizona on August 27, 2007 with many family members and friends. Prior to their marriage, they both enlisted in the armed services during World War II: Robert in the Navy and Jessie in the Coast Guard. She was an active member from 1943 to 1946 as a StoreKeeper 3c (SK3c). She was stationed in New York City, Long Island, New York , West Palm Beach and St. Augustine, Florida. Jessie was very proud of her military service and of her Scottish ancestry. She was given the name of her maternal grandmother, Jessie MacLeod.
After their marriage, Jessie assumed the role of homemaker and mother to their four children. Robert was employed at the Large Jet Engine Division of General Electric Company (GE) in Cincinnati, Ohio. In March 1964, he accepted the position of Manager, Office Services for GE Information Systems Division in Phoenix, Arizona, which prompted their move to Scottsdale, Arizona. In 1970, General Electric sold the Information Systems Division to Honeywell Corporation and Robert remained as Manager of Administrative Operations until he retired in December 1983.
At age 57, Jessie was determined to continue her formal education and which had been interrupted by raising the family and graduated from Scottsdale Community College in 1978 with an Associate degree in Earth Science. Jessie was an avid reader and had many interests including history, (especially Civil War history), archaeology, paleontology, nature conservation, and wildlife to name a few. Jessie especially loved birds and cats. Wild bird feeders at home were always well-stocked. Over the course of many years, she adopted 2 stray cats and 1 rescue shelter cat, all of which became beloved, long-lived family pets.
After Robert’s retirement from Honeywell, he and Jessie enjoyed traveling. The Island of Maui, Hawaii became one of their yearly destinations. They enjoyed the local culture, its history and playing the many beautiful golf courses the island had to offer. They also traveled to England and Scotland where they visited historical sites. Jessie enjoyed walks in the Arizona desert to view American Indian cultural sites. At the age of 75, Jessie and her son Tom hiked to the top of Indian Mesa on the Agua Fria River North of Lake Pleasant. She enjoyed the view so much he had a difficult time convincing her to leave. However, her favorite habitat was the seashore where she loved to wander, enjoy the invigorating breeze and indulge in fresh seafood. In the later years, Morro Bay, Califonia became another one of her favorite vacation destinations where she enjoyed many bowls of fresh clam chowder from Giovanni’s Fish Market.
She also loved watching sports. Baseball on the television was a common background sound to the home and all family members knew not to get between her and the remote when Duke University was in the NCAA basketball playoffs. Jessie also had a big crush on the actor, Errol Flynn, which lasted a lifetime.
Jessie is survived by her daughters Mary Kay Rushworth of Carlsbad, California; and Sally Lahm of Warrenton, Virginia; her son Thomas Lahm and his wife Danielle of Phoenix, Arizona; granddaughter Stacey Rushworth of San Diego, California; grandson Brandon Lahm and his wife Julie of Tempe, Arizona; and extended family members, Chris, Kelly, and Kaitlyn Gutowski.
Jessie was preceded in death by her son, Jonathan, in 1998, and by her husband, Robert, in 2013 after 66 years of marriage. An outdoor memorial service to celebrate her life and honor her military service will be held on Friday, April 9, 2021 at 10:00 am at Valley of the Sun Cemetery in Sun Lakes, Arizona.
Donations can be made in honor of Jessie Margaret Lahm to Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah https://bestfriends.org/donate/memory ; The Nature Conservancy in Arlington, Virginia or any charity of your choice.
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