Jeanne Mina Shimmon
Jeanne Mina Shimmon passed away peacefully on December 30, 2017, at her home of 54 years in San Francisco. She was 93 years old, and died of natural causes in her sleep.
Jeanne was known for her incredible intelligence, dedication to helping others, strong devotion to her family, and spirited energy. Born in San Francisco, she was the youngest daughter of immigrant parents. As a young girl, she loved summers in Turlock and afternoon tea with her mother and ladies from the Assyrian Social Society. With her family, she spoke Assyrian as her first language but mastered English by her determination and sheer love of learning from a young age. She went on to learn several foreign languages. At Commerce High School, Jeanne was an honors student and talented athlete on the basketball and volleyball teams. She loved to dance and her peers admired her flair for jitterbugging.
Jeanne graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California at Berkeley, earning a degree in English, specializing in the Romantic poets. At Berkeley during WWII, Jeanne tutored veterans in Spanish and was an active member of the fencing team. She gained acceptance to the law school at Berkeley, but following her father’s wishes, devoted herself to a life of teaching. If one needed to know a definition of a word in the pre-Internet era, it was common knowledge that Jeanne would always know the answer.
In 1948, she began her career in education in Calistoga, teaching secondary school English, journalism, and drama. She returned to San Francisco to work as a first grade teacher for underprivileged children. Jeanne earned a master’s degree in school administration through night school and worked for many years as district administrator in the San Francisco Unified School District superintendent’s office. She was a recognized leader in bilingual curricula development.
Jeanne dedicated herself to her children, husband, and large circle of relatives and friends. A loving mother, she introduced her two sons to museums, poetry, theater, parks, fine dining, and travel. An excellent cook, she was known for her from-scratch Assyrian dishes like dolma and mastered multiethnic cuisines. She loved to bake and delighted guests with the best pumpkin and apple pies, cheesecake, and other delicacies. She wholeheartedly celebrated the holidays and made occasions festive and warm for her children, relatives, and friends. All guests were welcomed as family.
Jeanne lived a life with unflagging energy and enthusiasm. She loved to travel, particularly throughout Europe and Latin America. She assimilated into many different cultures and spoke several foreign languages, including Assyrian, Spanish, and French. She was an avid tennis player, graceful dancer, and a bridge player. Her sophistication and style matched her vitality; she always dressed elegantly whether shopping at I. Magnin, travelling with her sons, or presenting at conferences. Cultured and cosmopolitan, she loved opera and poetry, reciting long passages from memory.
Jeanne will be dearly missed by all who were blessed to have known and loved her. She is survived by her sons, David and Steven; her daughter-in-law, Mary Beth; and her two grandchildren, Alison, and David Jr. In addition, she leaves behind her sister, Lillian Johns, former husband, A. John Shimmon, and cousins Caldwell Hattam, Evelyn Hattam, Dorothy Badal, and Ruby Bretzfield.
Memorial services will be held at Duggan Serra Mortuary, Daly City, CA. on Thursday, January 25 at 11 am. A lunch in her honor will follow the service.
Internment will be held at Turlock Memorial Park on Friday, January 26th at 11 am for family members.