Jean Lominska
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On Monday, February 22, Jean Lominska passed away peacefully in her favorite chair in her home at Brandon Woods in Lawrence, Kansas.
She would have been 97 this April, and was bright, sharp, witty, devoted to family and friends, and curious to the very end, belonging to a book club and taking continuing education classes. She had never suffered from any chronic illness, just the gradual deterioration that comes with age, which slowed her down a bit but never got in the way of her remarkable determination and energy.
She is survived by her four children: Elizabeth, Robert, Susan, and David, her seven grandchildren: Derek, Ben, Julia, Anna, Chris, Avery, and Ashton, and her three great-granddaughters: Mikali, Sophie, and Asha. She was predeceased by her sister Katharine and brother Carl.
Her family will hold a memorial service around the time of her birthday at Trinity Episcopal Church, followed by an inurnment at Hardy Oaks Cemetery in Jefferson County, Kansas.
Jean was born on April 30, 1913 in East Orange, New Jersey, the daughter of Smith Carl Ketcham and Eleanor Huntington Ketcham. She was a granddaughter of George Huntington, known for his seminal work in identifying the genetic pattern of transmission of the neurological disease named Huntington’s Chorea in his honor.
In 1917, they moved to Pleasantville, New York. She graduated from Pleasantville High School in 1930, and then spent four happy years at Mount Holyoke College, from which she graduated with a degree in English in 1934. After earning a Master’s Degree in Education from Columbia University in 1935, she taught primary school in Sayville, New York from 1935-1940. There she met and married Clemense A. Lominska. After the birth of their four children, she taught in the Sachem School District on Long Island from 1959 until she retired in 1977. While in Sayville she was a member of St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, where she sang in the church choir, and was active in the Sayville Musical Workshop. In both contexts, her beautiful mezzo-soprano voice was much appreciated, and she raised her children in an environment rich with music. She and her husband were very active in the community, and Planned Parenthood was one of her chosen volunteer commitments.
She was a strong influence on the lives of her children and grandchildren, and a warm and constant support until the end. When her husband Clemense died in 1963, she continued to raise her children on her own, passing on her passions for education, music, theater, language, history, photography, and travel. Her house was always open to those who needed a temporary home, including foreign students and her children’s friends. She also opened the world to her children, taking the three still at home on a trip to England and France in 1965 and on a round the world trip in 1967, followed by many travels with her sister and with friends. Although she was deferential about her talents, she had a passion for language and was a voracious reader, reading aloud to her children and grandchildren, and providing them with gifts of books. She did her best to ensure that they wrote and spoke using correct and accurate English. She supported them proudly in their endeavors and careers, which include farming, teaching, medicine, anthropology, and professional photography. She herself took delight in riddles, limericks, and amusing nonsense, and was an avid crossword puzzler.
After her retirement in 1977, she chose to move to Lawrence, Kansas, which offered an environment that she embraced with enthusiasm. She made many friends here, and participated in a large number of organizations and activities, including Small World, the Lawrence Civic Choir, Altrusa, the Spencer Art Museum, her book group, and the Trinity Episcopal Church choir. The Lawrence Arts Commission recognized her with its 2003 Phoenix Award for her contributions to the arts. She was happy here, finding great pleasure in all that Lawrence offered.
Jean was a remarkable woman. She was loved by her family, and will be missed by those whose lives she touched. She lived and died as she had hoped and wished.
In lieu of flowers, a donation to the charity of your choice would be appreciated by her family. Doctors Without Borders and the OSHER program were two of the many that Jean supported. Online condolences may be sent to: www.warrenmcelwain.com
Haiku for Jean, by David Lominska
In her chair, closing
her eyes, she eases into
the world of her books
A memorial video for Jean can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egc5JnxNkZE
Jean will be missed. She was a remarkable woman and a joy to know.
I loved getting to know Jean during our rides to book club. She made a lasting impression and I’ll miss her.
Condolences to the family.
My deepest condolences to Jean’s family on her passing. It is hard to lose her but she was such an amazing woman that I felt honored to know. She is my role model for graceful aging.
We will miss Jean at our Altrusa meetings. She was such a happy, delightful, positive person. We all enjoyed knowing her.
Dear Children of Jean, I was privileged to know and be with Jean many eveninga at the First Methodist church when the Civic Choir met there. She was, at that time, in charge of the music. I have helped her and even when she was not able to be there, which was seldom, filled in for her. What a beautiful, intelligent and wonderful lady she was. We talked often of her travels because I too had “been round the world.” We lived above her on New Hampshire at 17th. I walked past her home often. Thank you David for writing a lovely opituary about your mother. Truly she was a rare gem.
I am one of the many friends of Jean Lominska and truly honored to be in that number. I will greatly miss lunches with her, sitting at South Park for summer band concerts,
trips to the theater, etc. She was above all a really good person.
I had taken Jean to Altrusa several times and had always enjoyed our short, one on one, visit to the meeting. I will miss her aqnd her smile. God bless all of her family.
I met Jean at Small World about ten years ago. I liked her immmediately for her warm smile, her intelligence, and her evident pleasure in serving the international wives. She was such a lovely person and brought joy to so many. My sincere sympathy to you on your loss of her.
Thank you, Lominska family, for writing the lovely tribute to your mother and grandmother so that even those who did not get the chance to experience her calm enthusiasm (not really a contradiction, is it?) can sense the kind of model she was and is for how to live.
I loved her insights on books, her reflections on her travels, and hearing her affection for her family in her voice.
Her influence ripples out in untold ways through you all. Bob was a great teacher for my son; how happy he was that year in school! I’m sure that bits of her are manifest in all of your work and living.
The world does not see her like often.
Thank you, Lominska family, for writing the lovely tribute to your mother and grandmother so that even those who did not get the chance to experience her calm enthusiasm (not really a contradiction, is it?) can sense the kind of model she was and is for how to live.
I loved her insights on books, her reflections on her travels, and hearing her affection for her family in her voice.
Her influence ripples out in untold ways through you all. Bob was a great teacher for my son; how happy he was that year in school! I’m sure that bits of her are manifest in all of your work and living.
The world does not see her like often.
I will so miss seeing Jean, and I know my mom will miss her terribly. Jean and Mom were “partners in crime” at Brandon Woods-two liberals against the rest! Mom loved talking about books and politics and culture with Jean more than anybody. She was just so gracious and beautiful. My thoughts are with her children, grandkids, and great-grandkids.
Alice Lieberman
I will so miss seeing Jean, and I know my mom will miss her terribly. Jean and Mom were “partners in crime” at Brandon Woods-two liberals against the rest! Mom loved talking about books and politics and culture with Jean more than anybody. She was just so gracious and beautiful. My thoughts are with her children, grandkids, and great-grandkids.
Alice Lieberman
I remember Mrs. Lominska from when she lived on Rhode Island St. as I grew up in that neighborhood. I took care of her lawn from about the time she moved to Lawrence for a number of years. Somewhat shy, I always wondered, and today marvel, that she took such an intrest in a kid who took the $5.00 she paid me and spent it on baseball cards and gum. I’ve been teaching for 20 years and if I knew then what I know now, what wonderful use I could have made of our time. I did realize that in my old neighborhood Mrs. Lominska was unique. I have thought about her from time to time over the years and would like to extend my condolences as she will be missed by many.
Please accept our sincere condolences on the loss of your dear loved one. May you find comfort and hope in the Bible’s promise, “Your dead ones will live. . . . They will rise up.” –Isaiah 26:19 The Bible teaches that man was not created by God to die, but death came about as a result of sin, way back in the Garden of Eden. –Romans 5:12. So even though death has afflicted mankind down to our day, God promises to undo the effects of death and even do away with death itself. Please read this for yourself at Revelation 21:3, 4. What a wonderful hope is presented in God’s Word. . . being able to live right here on earth in paradisaic conditions with our loved ones beside us. –Psalms 37:29 It is our hope that reading these scriptures will comfort you during this time of loss.
Jean Lominska was a wonderful, extraordinary woman. A great deal of her legacy survives and endures in her amazing family. May the grace of God anoint and prevail in their lives, perpetually, through Jesus.
I never knew her, so it’s very exciting to learn more about her in this way- she was my great-grandmother, even though she passed away before I was born.