Jean Briggs, 82, lost her battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) on January 14.

Her joy and warmth live on in her family: her husband, Dr. Earl Briggs of Marion; her son and daughter-in-law, Adam and Margaret Briggs of Sherborn; her daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Peter Francis of Marion; and her four grandchildren, Benjamin and Timothy Briggs and Holly and Tucker Francis.

Jean and Earl have lived in Marion since 1957, and they wintered at Riverbend Country Club in Tequesta, FL, since 2001.

Jean was born in Fairhaven, MA, in 1929 to Jim and Marjorie Parkinson. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Bridgewater State College, then a master’s in educational counseling from Providence College. She taught elementary school in Fairhaven for several years before settling in Marion with Earl.

Jean was active in the community, serving on the Marion and ORR School Committees and the Council for Aging. Jean trained volunteers at the Wareham Hospice, and until recently, she tutored and administered aptitude tests at Tabor Academy.

Jean loved the outdoors and nature: she took pride in her flower garden, avidly observed birds and wildlife, and enjoyed cruising on Buzzards Bay and beyond. She could hit a golf ball as straight as a laser beam, and was often found squishing through the mud in Job’s Cove in search of little necks.

Earl and “Nana,” as her grandchildren call her, never turned down an opportunity to travel, and together they explored Chile, the Galapagos, Norway, Panama, Bali, Italy, Australia, the Caribbean, and Greece, among many other destinations.

Jean’s boundless enthusiasm and optimism will be sorely missed by her family and friends; it was rare to find something other than a smile on her face.

In lieu of flowers and in accordance with Jean’s life-long dedication to education, her family suggests that donations in her name be sent to Tabor Academy, in hopes that the next generation of bright and inquisitive minds will find cures to cruel diseases like ALS.

A memorial service for Jean will be planned for this summer in Marion.