Mary Jeanne (Jones) Stavish
July 16, 1942 - September 22, 2017
Mary Jeanne was born in Junction City, Kansas, the daughter of James Delbert (Deb) Jones and Jeanne Estelle Halstead, and passed away after a struggle with cancer. She was the oldest of five children, and the only girl. She is survived by her four loving brothers, Jim, Fred, Larry, Bill and their families; and by her six stepchildren from her marriage to Joseph Stavish; Sheila (deceased), Susan Stavish Bremond, Andrew Joseph, Patricia Stavish Hinrichs, Jane Stavish, Jim, and their families.
She graduated class valedictorian from St. Xavier High School. She obtained a bachelor of science degree in Medical Technology from Creighton University, and in 1988, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco.
At Creighton, she was a founding member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. Mary Jeanne and five of her sorority sisters became fast friends, affectionately dubbed the Six Sigmas. This began a 57-year friendship, supporting and loving each other through life’s high and low moments, traveling together, holding reunions, celebrating their joys, and comforting each other in times of need.
Mary Jeanne moved to Los Angeles in 1965 to begin a career in medical technology, moving to St. Luke’s Hospital in San Francisco a few years later. She remained at St. Luke’s until her retirement in 2014. She was an active member of the California Association of Medical Technologists (CAMLT), serving terms as president, treasurer, and helping organize several annual meetings.
In 1982 Mary Jeanne married Joseph (Joe) Stavish. They moved to Novato and built a beautiful home, which was a source of pride and joy for both of them. It was a wonderful place to entertain their friends, one of Mary Jeanne’s favorite pastimes. Mary Jeanne was preceded in death by her husband Joe in 1994, and her loving companion Angelo Caliendo in 2012.
Mary Jeanne loved to travel, taking many trips throughout the United States and Europe. She was especially fond of the British Isles. A voracious reader, she loved a good British detective novel. She also loved to sing, and was a member of the San Francisco Bach Choir for several years, and the Marin Oratorio after moving to Novato. She loved the rehearsals, looking forward to spending time with the other members of the choir, and the days leading up to a performance was a time of joy and excitement.
Mary Jeanne was fun loving, had a great sense of humor and a positive attitude. She was energetic and very organized and will be sorely missed by all that knew her, especially if they were planning a party. A celebration of her life will be held at Mary Jeanne’s home on Saturday, October 14 from 1:00 to 5:00 PM. Interment of ashes will be at the family plot in Junction City, Kansas at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributions to the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) or the Marin Oratorio - College of Marin.