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Jean Ann Taylor

July 19th, 1936-January 26th, 2024

JEAN ANN TAYLOR, of Mill Valley, passed away January 26th following a long accomplished, fulfilled and joyous life. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio Jean’s intellectual prowess and leadership aptitude were recognized at a young age getting her assigned to Cincinnati’s elite college preparatory high school Walnut Hills, where she excelled academically and was elected class president.

Jean went on to the University of Cincinnati, joined the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in American History and a B.S. in Education.This is also where she met and began a six decade love story with husband Ray.

The two arrived in Marin County in 1963 settling in San Rafael where they would raise their son Jeffrey and daughter Stephanie. Jean and Ray enthusiastically embraced the bay area and the California lifestyle, becoming lifelong members of the Marin Tennis Club, spending countless weekends on the ski slopes of Tahoe, supporting the Marin Arts Council and Alter Theater, getting involved with the Marin Shakespeare Company and San Francisco Symphony, and, hosting foreign exchange students to share the dream.

Jean began teaching elementary grades and picked up another degree, a Master’s in Psychology at Dominican University. But she would soon be on a new trajectory to becoming an invaluable public servant and agent of change on social issues in the North Bay.
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In 1993 Jean Co-Founded the New Beginnings Center, a transitional housing and job training facility for the homeless, chairing Capitol Campaigns that funded an on-site culinary institute and an additional 80-bed residential development. In the years that followed Jean raised more than $17 million for these and other projects, and served on the Marin Commission on Homelessness. Her efforts earned her a George H.W. Bush Presidential Points of Light Award and changed the blueprint for Marin County’s response to homelessness.

Jean’s next fight prompted change within the family court system. Learning of repeated legal rulings that left children vulnerable to violence, Jean sensed systemic injustice. Together with Kathleen Russell she established The Center for Judicial Excellence, serving as Board President for a decade. The Center’s mission is to protect children exposed to domestic abuse and foster accountability throughout the judicial branch. What started as a local non-profit in San Rafael is now a national research and policy organization.

Recognition and awards for her contributions include: Marin Women’s Hall of Fame, Marin’s Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian of the Year, Heart of Marin’s Volunteer of the Year and many more.

As Ray retired his 33-year career with Herman Miller he and Jean ramped up their globetrotting, traveling to more than 30-countries. They sailed around Tahiti, went to Turkey, across Western Europe, South America and into the ports of China, Japan and South Korea by cruise ship; took the Orient Express from London to Venice and safaried through Kenya and Tanzania, and were frequent flyers to Paris and parts of Italy.

Jean’s life was adventurous, productive and rich with friendship. To her community she was a soldier for those in need. To her family she was our center; organizer of all, and the axis from which we all thrived. Her special touches and added sparkle brought magic to every occasion. She made sure each of us was recognized and celebrated for every accomplishment and step forward. Her passing leaves a massive void in our lives, but her presence will remain with us forever.

In January of 2017 Jean suffered a severe brain hemorrhage and subsequent stroke that ravaged both muscle and memory. Not surprisingly she beat the odds recovering well beyond expectation. Her condition was in steep decline during the past several months however, and in the early hours of January 26 she passed in her sleep.

Jean Ann (Lea) Taylor is survived by her husband Raymond, son Jeffrey, daughter in law Amy and their children, grandsons Cameron, Scott and Joshua; daughter Stephanie, son in law Bill Boland, their son, grandson Dominic; and sister Ida (Lea) Scherer.