Obituary of Jean Elizabeth Taylor

The days of our age are threescore years and ten...(Ps.90v.10) Just weeks short of reaching that goal, Jean succumbed to a long period of failing health on August 4th at the Saint John Regional Hospital. She leaves, to carry on her faith and her work, her husband of 29 years, Robert of East Riverside, along with her brother Ian (Bertha) Murray of Moncton and their sons Todd and family of Florida and Stephen of Moncton, and cousins across Canada, the U.S., and even Asia. She was pre-deceased by her parents, Douglas and Betty (Splane) Murray, and by several aunts and uncles. Jean was born in West Saint John and moved to Dorchester at the age of three, her father being at the Penitentiary (as an employee, not a prisoner!). She was educated at Dorchester Consolidated School and Teachers’ College, and later earned her M.Ed. at U.N.B.. She taught for 32 years in elementary schools in Oromocto, Coles Island, Moncton, and Belleisle, and after retirement she and Robert taught a year at Beijing Concord College. She took leadership roles in the N.B. Teachers’ Association (Elementary Council), Air Cadets (Moncton’s first civilian instructor), Guiding (District Commissioner in Moncton), Delta Kappa Gamma (provincial President), the Saint John Seniors Advisory Committee, PROBUS, and the Kings County Retired Teachers’ Association. She and Robert were also privileged to travel together to every continent except Antarctica. Jean attended over forty years of the Diocese of Fredericton Choir School, including many years as its Registrar – "Choir School" was the brainchild of her father, and has just celebrated 60 consecutive years. Funeral arrangements are under the care of Brenan’s Funeral Home (634-7424). Visitation will occur at St. Paul’s Church, Rothesay on Thursday August 10th from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 pm. Choral Eucharist and reception will take place at St. Paul’s on Friday August 11th at 11 am. Members of Choir School and Colla Voce are invited to join with the church choir, rehearsing one hour ahead. Interment of ashes will occur in Fernhill Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Diocese of Fredericton Choir School, St. Paul’s Endowment Fund, or the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated by the family. All of us appreciate the efforts made by the medical and housekeeping staffs of several departments of the Saint John Regional and St. Joseph’s Hospitals and K.V. Extramural over the past several years of Jean’s health challenges. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. (Ps.90v.13)