Jean Harman

November 4, 1924 - January 21, 2023

Jean Harman, born Margery Jean Downey, passed away peacefully at 98 years young on January 21, 2023, in Palo Alto, California, now reunited with the love of her life, CDR John A. Harman (USN Ret.). Jean was born in Sterling, Colorado and spent her formative years as an only child in San Franciso, graduating from Lowell High School in 1941. At age 15, she started taking private flying lessons and a year later enrolled in the College of the Pacific in Stockton. She received her AA in 1943 and moved to Nevada after Pearl Harbor to complete her flight training. At age 18, she applied for and was accepted into the Women’s Airforce Service Pilot program in Sweetwater, Texas.

She completed her training with the class of W-44-9 and was awarded her wings. After she was discharged in 1944, she remained in San Diego and married then LCDR Harman in 1946, becoming the ultimate Navy wife raising four children, and finally settling in Menlo Park, CA after his retirement from service. Together they became homestay parents for foreign students at Stanford University, many of whom remain close to the family to this day. Jean (nicknamed “Jeep” by her WASP colleagues) was the recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony held on March 10, 2010, in recognition of her service with the WASP. Jean loved volunteering, cooking, reading, and traveling worldwide with her husband. She lived a fulfilled and life surrounded by her loving family, Sheri Lee, Scott Harman, Marcy Crawford, and Stuart Harman, grandchildren Christine Crawford, Scott Lee, John Crawford, Ethan Harman, Sam Harman, and Melissa Harman and great grandchildren Koyten Lee, Logan Harman, Mason Harman, Emmett Lee. Everett Lee (deceased), Anella Lee, and Jemma Kilbride. Our family would like to thank Pathways and the Palo Alto V.A. for their extraordinarily kind and compassionate care for our mother in her final days.