Jean Emery Obituary

Emery
JEAN JACKSON EMERY
July 15, 1928
November 23, 2020
Jean Jackson Emery, 92, died following an acute medical complication of a chronic condition. Jean was born in Colorado Springs to the late Judge William S. Jackson and Jean O'Donnel Jackson. When Jean was 14 years old, her mother died and Jean moved to Denver to attend Kent School for Girls, as a boarding student for the first year and then as a day student after her father was appointed to the state Supreme Court in Denver. Jean graduated from Kent at age 16 and then completed her BA in Psychology at Vassar College, traveling back and forth by train between Denver and New York. Jean was a life-long 'education activist' who believed in the importance of education for ALL people at ALL ages. Following graduation from Vassar in 1949, she worked as a first-grade public school teacher in rural communities of Colorado, spending one year in Commerce City followed by two years in Fort Morgan, after her marriage to John Wendell Emery in 1950. In Fort Morgan, John worked as radio personality 'Cowboy John' and they lived 'downtown' in an apartment above a laundromat. After two years in Fort Morgan, Jean and John returned to Denver where they raised their four children. Together, Jean and John were a formidable team of education activists, both of whom served as PTA President at the local elementary school and who dedicated themselves to enriching educational opportunities for under-served students in the Denver metro area. In 1970, they received a Commendation from then-President Richard Nixon for their work co-founding an organization that provided parent classroom volunteers for teachers in under-served neighborhoods. In 1973, when Denver was ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court to desegregate the public schools, Jean was a visible and vocal proponent of busing as the only means available to ensure equal educational access for minority students. She was instrumental in helping develop Denver's plan for desegregation, and she then became a consultant to other cities around the country facing the same desegregation mandate. Forced busing was highly controversial, but Jean never shied away from conflict on that topic and always tried to explain in clear terms why it was a necessity. In support of desegregation efforts, three of Jean's four children participated in 'open enrollment' programs at mostly minority public schools. Jean continued with this work while devoting time to other community-oriented organizations including the League of Women Voters and Planned Parenthood. John's sudden death in a 1980 motor vehicle accident, after 29 years of marriage, led Jean into a second phase of her adult life. While grieving the loss of John and coming to terms with life as a 51-year-old widow, Jean turned to education for herself, returning to school to complete a Master's degree in Communication at the University of Denver in 1986. In 1988, following the death of her beloved older sister, Anne Jackson Wilhelm, Jean then married Anne's widower, David Cudahy Wilhelm, in 1989 and remained married to him until his death in 2018. Jean's marriage to David marked the third phase of her adult life. She loved David's sense of adventure and happily accompanied him on trips to places she hadn't ever visited including Ireland, England, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Russia, Scandinavia, Costa Rica, and Cuba. Jean and David enjoyed meeting new people from diverse cultures and immersing themselves in the stories of those peoples and cultures. During the 29 years of their marriage, Jean and David enjoyed the company of a wide circle of friends as well as their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, dividing their time between Denver, Tucson, and Rand, CO. David was a great source of support to Jean following the untimely death of her beloved only daughter, Anne Emery Kyllo, in 1998. Throughout her life, Jean held a deep faith in God that helped her cope with the many hard losses in her life. Despite having no religious upbringing, Jean independently started attending church in Colorado Springs as a child and became a life-long Episcopalian. During the past 47 years, she was a dedicated parishioner at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, where she was instrumental in establishing the John Emery Library in memory of her late husband. Jean also had many friends from her memberships in the Thursday Lunch Club, the Monday Literary Society, and the Denver Country Club. Jean was a voracious reader and had been participating in a bi-weekly Zoom Book Club with her three sons during the pandemic. Jean was a woman of contrasts, with a wide range of interests and an ability to engage just about anyone in lengthy, deep conversation. She was warm, intensely focused, inquisitive, intelligent, caring, and devoted. In addition to her parents, her husbands, her sister, and her daughter, Jean was predeceased by her brother, William S. Jackson, Jr. She is survived by her three sons and their spouses: Jake (Lisa) of Colorado Springs, Patrick (Cathy) of Denver, and Charles (Edie) of Columbus, OH; three granddaughters: Elle (Max), Lindsay, and Vita (Matt); four step-children (Jeannie Russell; David, Andy, and Peter Wilhelm); 10 step-grandchildren; 'adopted daughter' Ellamaria Ray; son-in-law John Kyllo; and numerous beloved nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send contributions in Jean's memory to Kent Denver School (kentdenver.org/support/donate) or Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum (cspm.org/donate/).