Jean Helene Glassberg's Obituary
Jean Glassberg, died May 29, 2025, three weeks after her 88th birthday. Born in the Bronx, NY, her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona for a healthier life for her brother who suffered from Asthma. She arrived in Phoenix in time to begin high school but always considered herself a “Bronx girl”. After meeting her husband, who went to the University of Arizona, the two moved to Tucson to start their family.
With a passion for education and for helping children, Jean graduated from Arizona State University and began what was a long and successful teaching career in Tucson, teaching 4th and 5th grade at District One (now TUSD) schools for more than 30 years, retiring in 1999. She was loved by her students who still remember her fondly for her patience, kindness and for instilling in them a love of learning.
Jean’s greatest passions were for her family and her friends. She loved and she was loved, becoming a second mom to her children’s friends and classmates and becoming a second “Goggy” (what the grandkids called her) to her grandchildren’s friends. She never missed a grandchild’s game or a match, proudly cheering them on, almost as enthusiastically as she cheered on her University of Arizona Wildcats Basketball team!
Jean was an avid reader and the consummate hostess, joyfully hosting holiday and dinners, brunches and other celebrations. She loved to exercise, walking at least two miles daily and even more in the summers. The beach was her escape from the Tucson heat, and she could be found in San Diego, Coronado or Oceanside, CA each summer, soaking up the sun, collecting shells and enjoying time with her children and grandchildren. She loved good food and especially a glass of red wine at the end of each day.
Predeceased by her husband of 60 years, Marvin Glassberg, Jean is survived by her children, Sharon (Alan Rockowitz) and Steven (Sandra Gallagher), and eight grandchildren: Adam & Aaron Bukani, Sarah Rockowitz, Jonah (Jessica Keating) Rockowitz, Connor & Kelsey Glassberg, Sedona (Logan) Forbis, Saiorse Gallagher. She died as she lived, with dignity, a sense of humor and surrounded by her family. Jean leaves a legacy of kindness, care, empathy and laughter.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, June 4, 9:30 a.m. in the chapel at Evergreen Mortuary with internment to follow. Contributions in her memory can be made to Tucson Medical Center Hospice or the Audubon Society.
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