JEAN A. CULBERTSON Jean Alexander Culbertson passed away November 29, 2015, in Palo Alto, California, at the age of 92. Jean was born in Berkeley, California, in 1923, to Edith and DeWitt Alexander, from New Jersey and Hawaii, respectively. Jean went to Anna Heads School in Berkeley and Smith College in North Hampton, Massachusetts, where she graduated in 1944. Jean met her husband, Tom, in the San Francisco Bay Area after the conclusion of his World War II service in the Navy. They married in 1946 and bought a home in Berkeley after living a short time in Pasadena. Son Tom (III) was born in 1949, followed by Bruce in 1951. In 1953, they moved to a home in Orinda, California, designed by Tom, who was an architect. Two more children, Cathy and Sandy, followed in 1954 and 1961; sadly, both were developmentally disabled and required institutionalization for most of their lives. In addition to raising their family and volunteering in the boys' schools, Jean contributed many hours to the Association for Retarded Children. She also found time for tennis and golf, and spent many fun weekends boating with her family. Following Bruce's graduation from high school in 1969, Jean and Tom realized their decades long dream and moved to Honolulu, where Tom continued to practice architecture for close to two more decades. Jean immersed herself in civic and volunteer activities, contributing thousands of hours to the betterment of the community. Among the organizations she served were the Garden Club, the Hawaiian Mission Children's Society, the Alzheimer's Association (including time on the boards of those organizations), Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, and the Association for Retarded Citizens. Jean's greatest passion, though, was art, and she was a docent at the Honolulu Academy of Arts (now the Honolulu Art Museum) for 35 years. She shared her love of art with tens of thousands of school children, leading them through the museum's wonderful collections. Jean played tennis and paddle tennis well into her 80s. She and Tom loved to sail together (belonging to Waikiki and Kaneohe Yacht Clubs) and travel together, taking many interesting trips all over the world. A particularly memorable one was a trip to Tahiti they organized for members of Tom's college class. Jean continued to travel, both alone and with friends and family, after Tom died in 1993. Jean left Hawaii reluctantly but at her own initiative, moving to Palo Alto in early 2012 to be closer to her sons. Jean is survived by son Tom, daughter-in-law BruceAnn, and grandchildren Colleen and Bruce, in Spokane; by son Bruce in Palo Alto; and daughter Cathy who lives at Leahi Hospital in Honolulu. Son Sandy preceded her in death by several weeks last fall. In Hawaii, she is also survived by first cousin (by marriage) Betty Alexander and first cousins once removed Mary Ann Lentz (Honolulu), Lucy Alexander (Honolulu), Bo Alexander (Kailua) and David Alexander (Kekaha). A memorial service will be held Monday January 25 at the Outrigger Canoe Club at 8:00AM, followed by a scattering of ashes at sea. Also remembered will be Sandy. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hawaiian Mission Houses Museum, the Honolulu Museum of Art, and the Aloha Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.
Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased
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