Jean Decker

Jean Decker passed away peacefully at home on August 31, 2012 from the end stage of Alzheimer's disease, following her husband Dan's passing of just a few weeks. She was 92 years old.

Jean was born on February 26, 1920 in San Francisco, California. She was a "Navy junior" growing up in the Philippines, Pensacola, Vallejo, and San Diego. She attended Vallejo High School and San Diego State.

In the summer of 1941, Jean's father was transferred to Annapolis, Maryland, as Procurement Office for the Naval hospital. Jean was already engaged to someone in San Diego and did want to move. Crying all the way across country her mother said every time she turned around, the back seat was "awash". With her diamond ring firmly anchored on her finger, she endured the trip anyway, tearfully fighting over the back seat with her mother's dog Irish, also known to the family as "Grandma".

Jean eventually got a job in a record store where the midshipmen would come in and listen to records for free. On their meager salaries of a few dollars a month, this was a pretty good deal.

Dan Decker and his roommates came in to the shop. She and Dan got acquainted, started dating and were married on September 21, 1942.

When Dan shipped out for the war, Jean stayed behind in San Francisco, rented a studio apartment and worked at Ernst and Young.

For the next 22 years, she enjoyed the travel and adventure of their transfers in the states and abroad. Jean participated in luncheons, fashion shows and travel tours. In Maine, she was President of the Officers' Wives Club. She also had two middle names: SHOES and SHOPPING. Shopping was great fun to her wherever they lived.

After moving to Hailey, Jean got involved in aerobics and aqua aerobics, making friends with a wonderful group of women. She volunteered at the Hailey Library for almost twenty years, walked dogs at the Animal Shelter adopting at least three beloved shelter pets.

Jean was a voracious reader, kept up a voluminous correspondence with friends around the world and later in life was a real homebody. She had a beautiful, natural singing voice and loved opera. The family remembers her singing to La Boheme while vacuuming around the house. Two of her favorite colors were orange and yellow. Friends have remarked they could recognize Jean on the bike path dressed in bright yellow walking her three-legged dog.

Jean also had a wicked sense of humor. Even through her journey with Alzheimer's she'd come out with some very funny one-liners. When one of the Hospice nurses asked if she could get her anything, without missing a beat Jean retorted, "How about a new husband!".

Jean is survived by her son Dan and daughter Julie. She was preceded in death by her husband Daniel, her parents and a four-day old brother.

A gathering to celebrate Dan and Jean's life together will be announced. In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations to Hospice & Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley, P.O.Box 4320, Ketchum, ID 83340.