Isla Jean York Lindsey

JEAN YORK LINDSEY Isla Jean York Lindsey was whip-smart, beautiful, and fiercely independent for almost 94 years, died July 30, 2021, in Roanoke, Virginia. She lived her life fully – with determination, grit, and sass – and died peacefully surrounded by the love of her family. Jean was born September 7, 1927, in Welch, West Virginia, the daughter of Ida Lee Harris York and Major General John Y. York, Jr. She and her two older sisters, the late Anne York Kullman and Ida Louise York Greenberg, grew up as “military brats” living in many places throughout their childhood, which Jean often described as “one big travelogue.” Jean graduated from Greenbrier College for Women in Lewisburg, WV, at the age of 16 and then graduated with a degree in Advertising & Marketing from Indiana University in 1947 at the age of 19. At Indiana, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and she reigned as the 1946 Queen of the SAE fraternity. During her time at Greenbrier, Jean met James R. Lindsey, a student at Greenbrier Military Academy. They married in 1946 and in 1948 moved to Richlands, VA, where Jean filled her Ford station wagon with the five children who now survive her: James R. Lindsey Jr., Julie Lindsey Hunsaker, Janet Lindsey Burrow, John York Lindsey, and JoAnne Lindsey Hairston. Jean was unwavering in her support for her children, emphasizing the pursuit of academic excellence by never allowing them to miss a day of school. Nor did she ever miss one of their games, plays, spelling bees, or sometimes terrible piano and dance recitals. She supported their interests in football, basketball, baseball, golf, cheerleading, Boy and Girl Scouts, summer camp, dancing, music, and art – all while being a chauffeur, confidante to scores of angsty teenagers, foster parent, as well as a competitive bridge player and golfer, and the Voter Registrar for the Town of Cedar Bluff. She encouraged her kids’ entrepreneurial endeavors, where paper routes, bake sales, and rabbit husbandry later gave way to movie theaters, book stores, cattle farming, and other enterprises. Following a divorce, Jean moved to Baltimore in 1975 to pursue a different life. Drawing inspiration from her own experience as a “displaced homemaker,” she began work in the non-profit sector, helping women enter or re-enter the workforce. She later worked for the Baltimore County Public Library and then joined the City of Baltimore as an employment placement specialist. Jean made great new friends and enjoyed life as what she liked to call “A Runaway Mother,” attending Orioles games, horse races, and concerts ranging from Ralph Stanley to Blue Oyster Cult. In 1991, Jean moved to Roanoke to be closer to her five children and a growing number of grandchildren. “Grandmother” relished being near her 13 grandchildren: Lee Hunsaker, Jody Hunsaker Haller, Amanda Phillips Martinez, Sarah Phillips Blum, Matt Phillips, Lindsey York Simmons, Jimmy Lindsey, Mastin Simmons, Taylor Lindsey, John Lindsey, Katie Lindsey, Maggie Lindsey Harney, and Ellie Lindsey. Jean was a devoted grandmother, forever championing the passions and interests of each grandchild. She reveled in the commemoration of each and every milestone, traveling near and far for births, graduations, weddings, birthday parties, ball games, recitals, performances, and art openings. “GG” was the delighted great-grandmother of 12: Grace Blum, Caroline Blum, Levi Haller, Dexter Shaffer, Silas Haller, Stella Martinez, Louisa Martinez, Boone Ratliff, Cy Phillips, Anne York Lindsey, Rêve Ratliff, and baby James Lindsey. She was also the mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law to her many wonderful “outlaw” children, grandchildren, and partners. As the beloved matriarch of her large family, Jean taught by example the meaning of love through her indomitable perseverance, courage, humor, and appreciation of beauty and adventure. Jean was deeply committed to a lifetime of intellectual and personal development. She had an innate and insatiable curiosity and never tired of learning. An avid consumer of news, she devoured the newspaper daily, making certain that family and friends saw informative and entertaining articles of interest. She was also a woman about town, frequenting art openings, the Grandin Theatre, LaDeDa, antique stores, Open Studios tours, concerts, restaurants, Ted Talks, Elderscholars, and Hoot & Holler, while also making time to train and volunteer as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and to volunteer for Total Action for Progress (TAP). She loved traveling and adventuring; art, music, fashion, spicy food, fine wine, antiques, and movies. In later years, she particularly enjoyed playing bridge and painting, and she seldom missed watching the Army-Navy football game, PGA golf tournaments, UVA or Celtics basketball games, the Kentucky Derby, or Stephen Colbert. She was a master of witty texting and maintained her ties to family and friends, especially during the long months of covid quarantine. Jean York Lindsey, whip-smart, beautiful, and fiercely independent for almost 94 years, died July 30, 2021. In keeping with Jean's steadfast determination to keep family and friends safe and healthy, her family has made the difficult decision to postpone the September 5th Memorial Gathering due to covid concerns. Memorial contributions may be made to The Grandin Theatre Foundation, 1310 Grandin Road SW, Roanoke, VA 24015, or designated for the CASA program of Children’s Trust, 4519 Brambleton Avenue, Suite 110, Roanoke, VA 24018 The Lindsey family would like to extend special appreciation to caregivers and special friends: Cory Hines, Melissa Ellisor, Wanda Carr, Brenda Lehrer, Wendy Murphy, Chaplain Keith Olivier, and Dr. Bonnie Culkin.