Jean Margaret Blakely

Jean Margaret Blakely, née Voris, age 89, died 11/11/2011 in Bellevue. Loving, energetic and cheerful, devoted to her family, her church, and her friends, Jean brought laughter and a positive outlook everywhere she went. Born 3/3/1922, in Mankato, Minnesota, she was the third child of Paul and Letha Voris. Jean completed her BA in Dietetics at Iowa State in 1944, and spent her life feeding the hungry, celebrating her faith, and organizing the less organized. She married Carl Frederick Blakely in Bellevue on 2/16/1951; together they raised four children, Bill, Dianne, Dave and Sandra. Jean was blessed with five amazing grandchildren, Ashley, Cole, Courtney, Matthew and Tiani, of whom she could never brag enough. Her love of music was unstoppable: she sang in the church choir for 45 years. Ever the minister’s daughter, she was generous in her charitable work, to which she brought her dietetics training, her personal warmth, and her dedication to a life of good works. She served as president of Overlake Service League (now Bellevue LifeSpring) 1974-1975, was a dedicated member of the Worship commission and the Women’s fellowship at the First Congregational Church of Bellevue, and was the Eastside organizer for the Emergency Feeding Program of the Church Council of Greater Seattle from 1995-2002. We will celebrate her life on Saturday, November 26, at 2:00 p.m. in services at the First Congregational Church of Bellevue, 752 108th Avenue NE, Bellevue 98004. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Cancer Society.

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