Jean French

Jean Coleman French (Dada) passed away at the age of 88, surrounded by her family, on October 12, 2020, at Saad’s Inpatient Hospice. She is survived by her beloved husband of 56 years, Julius Edward French; her children, Thomas McClain Greer (Ellen), Eva Jeanne Wilson, and Laurie French Haas (John). Her siblings include Jack Coleman (Jeannine), Charlene Robinson (Robby), and Barbara Cooper (Danny). Dada has been blessed with many grandchildren, Evan Justan Wilson, Thomas Edward Wilson, Scott Allen Greer, Whitney Greer Stanford (Joshua), Derrick McClain Greer (Haley), and Katherine Ann Barnard. Dada’s beloved great-grandchildren include Travis Brian Greer, Hudson McClain Greer, Cooper Pearson Greer, and Audrey Ellen Stanford.

Jean was born in Hackleburg, Alabama in 1931. She moved to Mobile, with her family following World War II. After graduating from Murphy High School in 1949 she pursued a career as a dental hygienist.

She was a member of the Theodore United Methodist Church and taught Sunday School for years. She was an active member of the United Methodist Women and served in many committees and leadership positions through her years of membership at the church. She and her friends knitted prayer shawls for the sick with the Prayer Shawl Ministry for many years. She and Julius also loved to played golf together.

Friends and family often thought of her as “Edith” to Julius’ “Archie”, due to a skit they did for a church talent show many years ago.

Our mother taught us kindness and love by the example she set through her service to the community and her church family. She was a truly good person and her happiness was felt through service to others. Above all, she loved her husband Julius, who she called her Honey.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, October 15, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. from the chapel of Mobile Memorial Gardens Funeral Home with Rev. Neil McDavid. The family will receive friends from 12:00 p.m. until service time at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Mobile Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations in her memory to the United Methodist Children’s Home through the website here: https://umch.net/donate/ or to Cure Childhood Cancer, an organization close to her heart through this website: https://donate.curechildhoodcancer.org/page/17975/donate/1