Jean Angela Tucker

Jean Angela Tucker, sometimes recently known as Mrs. Boyle (which I could tell that she did not love), was a tough woman who fiercely cared for others over herself. My father met Jean when they were both widows around late 2009. Jean’s previous marriage was extremely long term as was my father’s with my mom, and that bonded the two, really without either one talking about it much. My father introduced me to Jean, and I knew that she would keep him on his toes. Jean, or as we and most of her friends and family called her, Jeannie, was an absolute ball of fire. Jeannie outpaced my father every step of the way. She never slowed down and my dad loved it. When my father first met Jeannie when they both lived in Georgia, she did not live in the greatest neighborhood. However, that really didn’t matter too much because of someone else she had living with her at the time she met my father—Carl. Carl was a 130 pound German Rottweiler who, in general, did not think too highly of my father. He liked to remind my father that he, Carl, not my dad, ran the show and he would lean against him, or give him a low growl to remind him. Jeannie loved that. She loved Carl, she loved life. Jeannie was incredibly independent. She wanted her own space always. After Carl passed, she wanted to leave the home she was in and of course my father tried to convince her to move in with him. After all, she was there most of the time anyway. She refused and rented a place in Athens, keeping another guard up. It was very hard to earn Jeannie’s trust. It’s likely why Jeannie and I got along so well. She reminded me very much of my mother, Phyllis, in that aspect. And like my mother if you had her trust, she would do anything for you, always having your back. My father eventually wore Jeannie down and convinced her to move in with him out in Monroe Georgia. I was thrilled because I knew she would do everything she could to care for him and since he had just had a heart attack, this was an absolute blessing. She always worried and doted on him, constantly reminding him about doctors’ appointments, pills, shots, and eating better. She may not have succeeded on the last one…. Jean and my father went on several trips with one another and got a chance to see places that each of them had spoken about for quite some time. It became a regular thing to see both of them packing and unpacking for various excursions. Jeannie became enthralled with technology and loved learning new things, becoming the “tech” person among her friend group. In 2019, My daughter Aurora was born, and I really got to see how much Jeannie cared. Jeannie came to the hospital room with my wife and I, and even held Vickie throughout the incredibly long labor. The two bonded at that moment. Jeannie and Vickie bonded over a third person who appeared that day, Aurora. Aurora came into the world and immediately had another protector and provider in the name of “Nanna Jeannie.” Jeannie doted on Aurora, giving her Mickey Mouse blankets, and all sorts of toys and fun things. But more importantly, Jeannie gave her love. Later in 2019, on her birthday, my father married Jeannie. It was a great day. We were planning a move to south Florida and now I had to convince Jeannie that my grand plan to move down and build a mother-in-law suite in the rear of the property would work. It was not an easy sell. Well, many 3D renderings, slideshows, and neighborhood photos later, Jeannie agreed. The initial plan was great, come down, my father and you would travel the country while I built the 2-bedroom 2-bath home in the back. It was a good plan, but Life had other plans. In 2020, what seemed like almost immediately after moving down, Jeannie was diagnosed with breast cancer. This put a “kabash” on traveling during construction, but only presented a new challenge to be overcome. Jeannie went through chemo, radiation, experimental stuff, and even lost her hair. But she made it through. She beat it. Then their home was done and they moved in. What a blessing it is to have Jeannie and my dad just 15 feet away. And it was not my “dad’s house” that was “Nanna Jeannie’s house,” and it likely always will be. She and my dad were able to travel again, and they did, taking several trips. Things were good. And then, after receiving a call from Dr. Caldera, we all paused as the cancer had come back with a vengeance, seemingly angry that this little old woman had beat it so quickly the first time. We all made the decision at that time to do what was needed for the cancer, but to LIVE. Life is such a precious thing. It makes very little sense. It is certainly not fair, and it is absolutely beautiful. Jeannie was always in great spirits. If she was in pain, I don’t think you would know it because she wouldn’t tell anyone. She would hardly take an Advil, never mind any of her pain medication. But she religiously took her cancer medications, which, as a result of Dr. Caldera’s hard work, did their job. Nana Jeannie had seemingly beat it again. My 40th birthday was coming up and Jeannie was looking forward to it. We had a wonderful celebration and Jeannie got to take part in it, watching Aurora run around and jump in the pool and run up to Nanna Jeannie to tell her about the latest pony or weird thing she found. It was a great day. However, life cheats sometimes. And without anyone really knowing, Jeannie had gotten sick again, and this time because the cancer knew if it gave her time, she would beat it, it acted fast. It reminded me of the sobering fact that Death always wins, but the fight, the fight itself, that fight is life, and Jeannie was a fighter, and a good one. Jean Angela Tucker, Jeannie, Nanna Jeannie, wife, sister, stepmother, mother, aunt, and friend, will be missed but will never be forgotten. We love you Jeannie and we are happy you are resting and look forward to seeing you again.

Jean Angela Tucker

July 27, 1943 - March 12, 2024