Marie Jean Kirkwood January 18, 2019 Share this obituary Send Flowers Sign Guestbook| Send Sympathy Card Marie Jean Kirkwood, 92, a resident of Country Meadows of Hershey, passed away on January 18, 2019. Jean was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on June 18, 1926. Her family moved to Babylon, Long Island, New York, New York, when she started elementary school.
Upon graduating from Sewanhaka High School in 1944, she went to Russell Sage College, School of Nursing, where she became a Registered Nurse. Shortly after graduation, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy, bought a new Chevrolet convertible, drove to Illinois for training and then on to Alameda, California, for her first duty station. As a flight nurse on the Mars, a seaplane that transported injured and other soldiers returning home from Honolulu, Hawaii, to the mainland, she was given the rank of Lt.
J.G. While stationed in Alameda, she met her husband, Lt. J. Scott Kirkwood. They were married in September, 1951.
With the coming birth of their first daughter, Lisa, she was given an honorable discharge. For the next two decades the family lived in various duty stations including, the Philadelphia Navy Yard (where their second daughter, Laurie, was born), Bermuda, Brooklyn Navy Yard and Norfolk, Virginia. When Scott retired from the Navy after 22 years of service, the family moved to Sylvania, Ohio, where he was an executive with the RH Macy Company.
After 13 years in Ohio, Scott and Jean moved to Monroe, North Carolina where they lived for 16 years. After Scott passed away in 1997, Jean moved to Hershey, Pennsylvania, to be closer to her daughter, Laurie. After the birth of their first daughter, Jean’s focus was primarily on her family.
But her life was very full and satisfying as she filled her spare time with volunteer roles and hobbies. While a Navy family, she was active in the Officers’ Wives Clubs. With all the moves and many houses, she always made sure that each one of their houses was a beautiful and comfortable home.
She supported her children’s activities through Girl Scouts and the PTA. She later branched out to other service organizations such as Meals on Wheels and the League of Women Voters. When not caring for others, she found great enjoyment in sewing and needlework projects, gardening, painting, making miniature furniture and reading.
She was elected President of her Monroe Garden Club twice and also served as an officer at the state level. For many years she was co-owner of The Ginger Jar, a small business that sold collectible miniature furniture built by her and her business partner. Once in Hershey, she enjoyed many classes offered at the Mohler Senior Center including painting, computer skills and physical fitness.
She volunteered at the Hershey Library and later at the Country Meadows Library. She also enjoyed traveling with her husband and later with friends and her girls. She saw and enjoyed many foreign trips as well as closer trips to visit her family and friends.
She once said she did not have a bucket list – she had been to more places and done more things than she could ever have imagined. She had a feisty spirit and an optimistic outlook, which served her well over a long and well lived life. She died peacefully and will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Jean is survived by daughters, Lisa M. (Stephen) Spey and Laurie S. (James) Eberle; grandchildren, John, Matthew and Andrew Spey and Jim and Scott Eberle; five great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She will be interred with her husband at a private graveside service in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to: Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute P.O. Box 852 Hershey, PA 17033 or the charity of your choice.
Hoover Funeral Homes & Crematory, Inc., of Hershey, is handling the arrangements.
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