Jeanne Patricia Carney

Jeanne left this world on the Spring Solstice. Fitting for the lady who loved nature and especially Spring, when the red leaves on her beloved maple tree would begin to show! Jeanne was born in the Bronx, New York, to William Harris, a sales associate, and Mae Ahern, the daughter of Irish immigrants. Jeanne’s great grandfather was a fisherman in Dingle, Ireland who lived to 113, and her grandfather was a steelworker who helped build the Brooklyn Bridge. Jeanne became a nurse in NY. After receiving her RN from St. Clare’s Hospital and her BS in Nursing from St. John’s University, she worked as Night Supervisor at St. Clare’s. At 30, she moved across country to San Francisco, where she did private duty nursing, was an office nurse, pursued a master’s degree, and worked as Night Supervisor at Davies Medical Center.

Jeanne lived in an apartment on the top floor of a mansion on Sacramento Street for 20 years, designed by another New Yorker, architect Arthur Brown, famous for designing the Ferry Building. Jeanne’s first roommate Phyllis McDermott introduced her to new Irish immigrant friends, some of whom instantly became her “West Coast Family.” She had many roommates at the mansion, including Clare Cavanaugh, who remained Jeanne’s closest friend for the rest of her life.

In 1995 Jeanne retired to Burlingame. She served as Board member, President and Program Chair for the Peninsula Garden Study Club; was an active member of the Burlingame Women’s Club; and served as Commissioner on the City’s Beautification Commission. A tireless volunteer, you could find Jeanne every summer working in the Floral Department at the

San Mateo County Fair! Jeanne was known for many things: her curious nature, love of meeting new people, saving every letter or postcard she ever received, and her pioneering passion for recycling plastic. She is most remembered for hosting a Thanksgiving feast each year for 70 people or more. This tradition, which continues today, began in 1961 when she wanted to share the American holiday with a small group of Irish friends. Over the years the group grew so large, she moved the event to the Burlingame Lion’s Hall. Jeanne is preceded in death by her father, mother, sister, and brother, and she is survived by her nephew Timothy Harris, her two nieces Patty and Beth, and their children and grandchildren, all living in New York. In the greater San Francisco Bay Area, Jeanne leaves behind many friends she considered family, and their children and grandchildren, to whom she is fondly remembered as “Auntie Jeanne”.