Jean passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on November 12, 2018. She was born in Vancouver on July 9, 1948. Jean is survived by her daughters Erin (James) and Leah (Ryan) and her granddaughter Adele. She will be missed by many other relatives and friends.
Jean was very passionate about education, both in her own betterment as evidenced by her masters and doctorate degrees and through her dedicated career in the Coquitlam public school system. There was nothing Jean enjoyed more than spending time with her family and close friends. Her inspiration and influence have left an indelible mark on all the lives she touched.
A Celebration of Jean’s Life will be held in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, on Friday, November 16, 2018 at 2:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the BC Cancer Foundation or Parkinson Society of BC.
Her family would like to thank the staff at the Victoria Hospice and Cancer Agency for the care and kindness they showed her.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
33 Responses
Kind. Fair. Gentle. Strong. Intelligent. Jean warmed us all with her qualities. As an educator and a leader at Gleneagle she was a role model for many, and helped shape a dynamic school. We all benefitted from time spent with her. My sincere condolences.
I only met Jean a couple of times but it was always a lively and memorable occasion!
My condolences to the Ern and the entire Fraser family.
Rob and Shandy
Jean was my best friend for over 25 years and she always had my back. I will miss her so much. I can’t believe she is gone.
I am so very sorry to hear about Jean. I had the pleasure of working with her. What a beautiful lady – inside and out! So gentle and caring, and a very capable and effective administrator. My condolences to Jean’s family. This wonderful dear person will be greatly missed.
I am the younger sister of Betty-Jean Gilley, Jean’s longtime friend. I have fond memories, as a ten year old, of their having to drag me along on their outings. Jean called me “the little sister she never had”.
Thank you Jean for the warm memories and condolences to your family.
Very sad to hear the news of Jean’s death. She was a very supportive principal when I worked with her at RCMacdonald. I also remember how proud she was of her daughters. My heartfelt sympathy is with you and your families.
Leah and Erin,
Jean and I worked alongside one another for the last five or six years leading up to her retirement. She was a kind and gentle soul who had an amazing ability to connect with seemingly every student regardless of the presenting issue. She certainly had influenced the lives of many, many students.
Jean’s two terms elected as president to the Coquitlam Principals and Vice-Principals Association is clear testimony to the respect her district admin colleagues had for her leadership attributes.
One of the most lasting impacts she had at Gleneagle was the determined leadership she showed working with school and district staff in support of the re-instatement of the Gifted Program at Gleneagle, a success that continues to provide improved learning experiences for hundreds of district students.
Although her many and varied workplace contributions brought her professional joy, it was always abundantly, clear that her family was her most important focus in her life. Her smile shown its brightest any time she talked about her daughters.
Dave Matheson
It was a shock to receive this news about Jean ! I had the privilege of working with Jean for several years at Moody Junior. She was a wonderful person bright, personable, knowledgeable, caring and professional in every way ! Our whole school community benefited so much from her many positive contributions .
I extend my sympathy to her family . Keep the good memories of such a super lady !
When I first met Jean she could outrun me and when I took her climbing she quickly outclimbed me. She never did anything half-way. She always gave it her all. She loved her family like that. Erin and Leah, she loved you ferociously – which could be overwhelming but it was the only way she knew how to do it. She would dance when she knew you were visiting and she would cry (while cleaning to Sarah McLachlan) when you left. She enriched the lives of those she knew. She loved animals and she loved our planet. She made the world a better place and she will be missed.
So sorry to hear of your mom’s passing. Too soon. I worked with your mom at R.C. McDonald school in Coquitlam. She was so kind, understanding and a genuinely lovely person.