Jean Vinson Sullivan passed away on December 24th at the age of 94. She was born November 16, 1919 to Robert and Stella Vinson on the Vinson Ranch near Big Arm, Montana. She grew up living the western legend—attending a one room school at Loon Lake, riding horseback or taking a horse drawn sled to school, drawing water from a well and learning to cook on a wood stove. She was the third from the youngest of 11 children and the last surviving of those siblings.
In the midst of the Great Depression, at the age of 15, she moved to Missoula and found work in order to attend high school. She graduated from Missoula Sentinel (now Hellgate) in 1938. She took employment with the State of Montana in Helena where she met C.T. Sullivan. They married in 1941, and moved to Portland, Oregon where their first child was born. The family returned to Great Falls in 1943, and Jean lived there for the rest of her life, spending more than fifty years in the same home. Jean and “Sully” had three more children. She was predeceased by two sons, Timothy (1959) and Terry (1989) and her husband(1967). She is survived by her daughters, Abigail Sullivan who splits her time between Great Falls and Annandale, New Jersey and Lisa (Tom) Cordingley, of Helena, two grandchildren, Katie and Christopher Cordingley and numerous nieces and nephews.
Jean was an active Democratic campaign volunteer in the 1950’s and 60’s; briefly she and her husband ran Triangle Advertising, consulting with various statewide candidates. She worked as Executive Secretary of the Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation, and went to work for the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office in 1964. In 1974 she was sworn in as a deputy sheriff, among the first women to serve in that capacity in Montana. She retired from the Sheriff’s Office in 1984. During that time, she worked with women who were victims of domestic violence or rape, in an era when coordinated services for women in crisis were rare. On occasion, she would bring those women to her own home and stay up into the night, making coffee and providing comfort.
She was profoundly steady, compassionate and a fiercely loyal friend. Many years ago, an elderly friend of hers said, “I hope when you’re my age, you are lucky enough to have a friend like you.” She was lucky enough—Jennifer Jaap has been that friend. Her family is very grateful.
Her home was open to drop-ins; her gardens were lovely. She was a voracious reader, a stickler for flawless grammar and a wizard at crosswords and Scrabble. Jean was a wonderful mother and an extraordinary grandmother. She was particularly proud of ensuring that her daughters were well educated and there was not one moment of her two grandchildren’s lives that she didn’t find exceptional in every way.
At Jean’s request there will be no memorial service at this time. Memorials in her name are suggested to Peace Hospice House of Great Falls or a charity of the donor’s choice. To offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Jean please visit below.
Service Schedule
Service Schedule
Share
Paulette Munson Carter says
Abigail and Lisa,
My thoughts and prayers are with you. No truer statement than her home was open. I know how proud she was of both of you. She was one of those rare people who expected nothing less than doing the right thing.
Marliss Peterson says
Lisa and Gail,
My deepest smpathies in the loss of your lovely Mother. I have so many cherished memories of her in her lovely home, and also in the Sherriff’s Dept. Her home was always welcoming and filled with good food and good friends. She was the most gracious host, and made everyone feel like a special guest. She was truly a treasure, and you both should be proud as you were wonderful daughters to her. She thought the world of you both.
Love,
Marliss
Jim Walsh says
Dear Gail and Lisa,
I knew this was coming, but was sad to see that Jean passed away. She was a remarkable lady. I met her very early in my law practice, when she was at the Sheriff’s office. I found out that beneath a gruff exterior, there existed a very helpful person who knew everything about the details no one had told me. She had a great life.
Jim Walsh
Tami Kanning says
We were just talking about Jean today as we enjoyed our popsicles:) We lived next door to Jean in 2003-2007 and she would give the kids treats when they played outside. I enjoyed going over and hanging out and visiting with her and talking about old times and gardening. Now the kids are in the early to mid twenties and we still talk of her sometimes. I always called it keeping up with the jeanses because her yard was always perfect.