Obituary of Jean Marie Lawrence

JEAN LAWRENCE It is with great sadness that I have to announce the passing of Jean Lawrence on June 22, 2022. Jean was a loving sister, wife and temporary mother to many of the children that she worked with as a social worker.

Jean was born September 7, 1954 to Creed and Bobbie Herberline in San Mateo, CA. She went to Aragon High School and after graduation moved to Chico in 1973 to attend Chico State University, in Chico, CA. She graduated from Chico State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Jean ran a nurse placement program at the college for a while after graduation. Ultimately, Jean decided to change course and went back to school to earn a Master's degree in Social Work.

She began working for Youth for Change as a school counselor. In this capacity she ran an after school program for students and their families who needed guidance and support. Jean had the ability to meet with these struggling families right where they were a the time without judgment and full of compassion. The students she worked with and their parents both felt that compassion and acceptance and they responded to her kindness and caring which resulted in positive outcomes for their family.

Jean also taught social work courses at Chico State and received nothing but praise from her student reviews. Later on in life Jean became a Hospice Social Worker and brought her kind nature and clear understanding to help people at that stage of life. I was blessed to be part of Jean's life when her neices and nephews were young. I was amazed at Jean's capacity to create fun activities with them. Scavenger hunts, outdoor skills contests, fort building, water slides, miniature golf, tubing the water the flumes, and indoor hide and seek.

Jean also liked to ballroom dance, and she was good at it. Jean extended her compassion to movements that supported animal rights, not be neglected. tortured or used simply to supply human need. She loved dogs especially and at one time had all four of them saved off the street or from a puppy mill. The world is a lesser place without Jean. Souls like hers are rare. Jean left behind her brother Jim, sister Ann, neices Alayna and Jill and her nephew Brian.

A memorial service for Jean will be held 11am, Sat., August 6, at the Faith Lutheran Church, 667 E. 1st. Ave. Chico CA.