Jean Crowley
Westerly — Jean J. (Coduri) Crowley, 66, beloved wife of James E. Crowley, of Compass Way, Westerly, passed away at The Westerly Hospital on Tuesday, June 20, 2017.
Born in Westerly, she was the daughter of the late Martha “Jean” and Richard J. Coduri Sr.
Jean was a WHS graduate Class of ’68. She then earned her bachelor’s degree at URI, graduating in 1972. She began her career as a teacher at East Lyme High for one year and served as their varsity women’s gymnastics coach, guiding them to be No. 2 in the state of Connecticut. She then came to the Westerly school system, where she worked as a teacher for 15 years. From 1973 to 1976, Jean was the varsity women’s basketball coach and in 1988 she became a building leader at Bradford School and was awarded “Teacher of the Year.” In 1996, she served as the principal of Spring Brook Elementary School until her retirement in 2004. From 2004 until recently, she had been employed with Coldwell Banker Cahoone Realtors. In addition to being a founding member of the Westerly Women’s Softball League, she was the first female president of the YMCA Jr. Leaders Club and a recipient of the Outstanding Jr. Leader Award. She co-authored a book entitled “A Certain Kind of Love” with Deborah Wright.
Jean was a devoted communicant of St. Clare Church in Misquamicut, R.I.
She leaves behind her husband of 29 years, James; her four children, Joy Zerbarini of Westerly, Amy Zerbarini DePerry and her husband, Josh, of Pawcatuck, Deirdre Seidenberg and her husband, Michael, of Philadelphia, Pa., and James Crowley and his wife, Christina, of Westerly. Jean will also be dearly missed by her three brothers, Richard J. Coduri Jr. of Staunton, Va., and Joseph E. and John B. Coduri, both of Westerly; seven grandchildren, Isabelle and Rosalind Seidenberg, Alex, Leah and Lucas DePerry, and Brock and Graeme Crowley; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Visiting hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at Gaffney-Dolan Funeral Home, 59 Spruce St., Westerly. Relatives and friends are also invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Clare Church, Crandall Avenue, Westerly. There is no procession from the funeral home to church. Entombment will follow at River Bend Cemetery, Westerly.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Westerly Education Endowment Fund (WEEF) c/o the Westerly School Department, P.O. Box 1219, Westerly, RI 02891 in Jean’s memory.
For online condolences please visit www.gaffneydolanfuneralhome.com.