E. Jean Kaufman

1919 - 2019

Anchorage, Alaska, resident since 1953, E. Jean Kaufman passed away on Nov. 18, 2019, at Providence Hospital, at age 100.
Jean was born to Eugene and Ivy Nash on March 30, 1919, at Ingram Port, Nova Scotia, Canada. She was the youngest of five children. Jean attended the one-room County school, grades one through 10. After graduation she worked as a waitress with Canadian Pacific Railway for eight years at 10 of their hotels across Canada, including Seigniory Club Quebec and then to the Princess Hotel Bermuda, where in 1950 she had an accident and fractured her back and returned to her sister in Toronto in a full body cast. During four months in the body cast she went to business school and studied accounting.
In 1951, she obtained a green card and went to Denver, Colo., to visit a friend, where she enjoyed skiing, hiking and climbing mountains. While living in Denver a friend told her that Anchorage was a nice small city, so in April 1953 she traveled to Alaska on the steamship "Denali." She began working at Jay's Fountain Lunch on 4th and H, then at the Alaska Dairy from 1953 to 1958, when it was sold to the Matanuska Dairy. Jean spent the remainder of her working years at various businesses as an accountant.
While attending a Christmas party at Forest Park Country Club in 1954 she met Lauren "Dutch" Kaufman and they were married at All Saints Episcopal Church in Anchorage in October 1956. In December 1958 she became a U.S. citizen. Jean and Dutch enjoyed traveling to Europe, trips to visit family in Nova Scotia taking cruises; and many trips with the Alaskan Prospectors Society whose motto is "See and Know Alaska." Jean thought of her life as one great adventure.
Jean loved volunteering and volunteered at more than 50 places in Anchorage and received many rewards, including the Golden Rule award from JCPenney and a letter of recognition from President H.W. Bush. In 1997, Jean was the first "Lady Trapper" for the Fur Rondy event in Anchorage. She was a regular visitor at Providence Hospital as "Buttons The Clown"; and she was with the Primetime Dancers when they were the first on stage at the Sydney Lawrence Theater opening on Sept. 10, 1988. She was a member of the Pioneers Igloo No. 4 Foundation, Eastern Star, Lady Shriners, Anchorage Senior Center, Eagles Auxiliary, Anchorage Museum, Cook Inlet Historical Society, Alaska Yukon Pioneers, Anchorage Airport, Clownettes, Alaskan Prospectors Society, Salvation Army Auxiliary, Anchorage Emblem Club, Real Alaskans, Iditarod Trail Committee and Nordic Ski Association.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dutch; mother and father; brother, George; three sisters, Eileen, Edna and Marjorie.
She is survived by nieces and nephews in Canada; also her Alaska adopted family, Glenn and Heidi Ruckhaus and their children Robin and Nigel; and many friends in Alaska and beyond.
Funeral arrangements are with Janssen Funeral Homes and a celebration of life will be held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church on Dec. 12, 2019, at 4 p.m., with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Jean Kaufman Scholarship Fund at St. Mary's Episcopal Church; or a charity of your choice. Her ashes will be buried next to her husband at Angelus Memorial Park Cemetery.