Obituary for Jean Lois Galvin

Jean Lois (Smith) Galvin passed away on April 20 at age 97. She was born December 3,1926 in Chicago to Byron and Mabel Smith. She grew up in the Norwood Park area where she attended grammar school. She graduated from Taft High School in 1945 and then went to Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois for two years. She completed her college degree at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, but took a year off after her junior year to teach on an emergency certificate because teachers were in high demand and she needed the money to finish college. She taught one year in Martelle, Iowa which was very lucky because it was there that she met her husband who was also starting his teaching career there. After she graduated from Cornell, Jean and Walt were married on May 19, 1951.

Jean and Walter spent their entire adult lives in Des Moines. Jean raised her two children Ellen and Tim, and then returned to the classroom. She taught Kindergarten for many years for the Des Moines Public Schools and then ran her own pre-school in her home from 1981 to 1989. After that, Jean was a devoted volunteer for the Blank Park Zoo and authored the zoo newsletter.

Jean and Walt took countless overseas trips to many of the countries in Europe, but to Jean the highlight was their four trips to Africa including one to track the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Jean and Walt took many camping trips to the National Parks with many family members, but their favorite place was always Yellowstone.

Jean, Mom, and Grammy was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who will be missed by all of her family. She is survived by her children Ellen (Rodney) Plath of Missouri Valley, Iowa, Tim (Jennifer) Galvin of Des Moines, granddaughters Allison, Kiana, Meredith, step-grandsons Kevin and Tosh, brother-in-law George Galvin of Burlington, Iowa, many nieces and nephews, and 17 great-grandchildren. Jean was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 69 years, her sister Charlotte, and her brother Jack.

A private family service will be held.