Helen Jean MacNish's Obituary
Helen "Jean" Mac Nish was born on April 30, 1939 in Ferndale, Michigan to Warren and Helen Cuthbert. She became an accomplished pianist, reference librarian, and teacher. Jean earned a B.A. in Latin at Wayne State U., an M.A. in Classical Linguistics at the U. of Michigan, and a teaching certificate from Eastern Michigan U. Jean taught elementary school in Michigan, middle school and Latin at the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY and adult education there and for returning Viet Nam vets at Ft Lewis in WA. In 1972 she turned to raising two sons and, in the early 90's, provided 24/7 care for her stroke disabled mother. Her body had carried her to the tops of 14,000' peaks in Colorado, doused sails on the heaving foredeck of a small boat in a big blow on Lake Champlain, and with the boat heeled and the rail in the water, re-attached a stay to the rail with an Orca as long as the boat swimming alongside in Puget Sound. Jean drove her body hard, and it finally wore out on November 15, 2015. She passed with her sons and husband of 53 years at her side. She is survived by her husband, Robert; her sons, William "Joe", of Tucson and Jesse, of San Jose, CA with his wife, Jennifer and grandson, Alexander and her sister and brother, Margaret Hinkle and Warren Cuthbert, both of Oro Valley.
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