Jeanne Susan Jezuit

Jeanne Susan Jezuit (née Kowalski), age 77, of Port Orford, OR, passed away on June 9, 2025. The family is deeply saddened and shocked by her unexpected death. She was born April 18, 1948, in Chicago, IL, daughter of the late John and Ruth Kowalski.

Jeanne is survived and considerably missed by her husband, John of 55 years (married March, 1970); her children, Erin, Johnny (Jyotika), Andrew (Sandy), and Sara (Jared) and her four grandchildren; her sweet furry companions Duke and Louie; her brother Jack (Jan) and sister Mary Beth.

Jeanne led a life that was full of family, friends, traveling, reading, teaching, dogs, and gardening. She was known for being an intelligent, kind-hearted, social extrovert (always meeting and talking to folks anywhere she went) with a contagious laugh. She grew up in the Chicago suburb of Stickney, IL. She received her BA from the University of Illinois (Chicago-Circle) in 1970 and went on the earn her MBA from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) in 1977. She worked at several different businesses including White Hen Pantry with their marketing department. Jeanne took a break from the workforce to raise her four children and then returned to school and earned her MS in Education from Aurora University (Aurora, IL). She then taught high school English and Finance as well as college-level courses for English, Literature, and Speech, first in Busan, South Korea, then at Sandy Valley High School (NV) and finally at Pacific High School (Sixes, OR). Throughout her years as a teacher, Jeanne was known as a highly insightful instructor who aimed to continue changing curriculum as needed to suit the students’ needs as well as the administrative needs (i.e. state testing). She also served beyond the bounds of the classroom as the faculty director for Pacific HS National Honor Society and the Future Business Leaders of America. Further, she organized annual fundraisers and helped to support Pacific students to travel to Ashland, OR to view plays at the prestigious Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Outside of teaching, Jeanne was a voracious reader and traveler. Even after adding children to the family, Jeanne made sure to plan adventures with the whole crew. John and all her kids have wonderful memories of traveling annually to camp in Door County (WI) as well as longer trips to Virginia, Florida, Michigan, and Hawaii, to name just a few. In other trips Jeanne made it to Acapulco (Mexico), Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, England, South Korea, and British Columbia and Quebec (Canada). She had visited nearly every state in the U.S. (including D.C.). Jeanne was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2019 for which she underwent treatment; once she regained her strength she set off traveling again to see friends and family in Illinois and Wisconsin, abroad to a number of European countries, and most recently, to Alaska (one of her bucket-list items).

After living in Stickney, IL Jeanne and John moved around to many different areas including Oconomowoc (WI), Schaumburg (IL), Glen Ellyn (IL), Stoughton (WI), Henderson (NV), and Port Orford (OR). During her time in Glen Ellyn, Jeanne was an avid member of the League of Women Voters and was voted into office as a Glen Ellyn Park District Commissioner; she was later appointed as President. Most recently, Jeanne had been voted into office as a Board Director of the League of Women Voters – Curry County Chapter.

Needless to say, Jeanne dedicated her life not just to her family, but to those in her community, wherever it was that she lived. Her legacy will live on in her husband, children, and all those that she touched through her teaching and community outreach.   

The family is currently deciding on plans for a Celebration of Life ceremony.

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