Jean Woodson Lodge

1951 - 2020

Jean Woodson Lodge

Wilmington - Jean Woodson Lodge (Blumenfeld), 68, passed away on March 22, 2020 in Wilmington. She was born on November 24, 1951 to Doris Haden Lodge and Thomas Scott Lodge of New Castle. She graduated from William Penn High School in 1969 and from Bethany College in West Virginia in 1973 after spending a formative junior year abroad in Glasgow, Scotland. Jean subsequently worked as a court reporter for the United States District Court of Delaware for six years.

Part of Congregation Beth Emeth's first adult Bar and Bat Mitzvah class, Jean valued her Jewish identity. She served on Beth Emeth's Board of Directors, co-chairing the Outreach Committee for Interfaith Couples and Families, and as president of the Wilmington section of the National Council of Jewish Women from 1997 to 2003, leading advocacy efforts for victims of domestic violence. She also served on the Boards of Trustees of the Jewish Community Center of Wilmington and the Jewish Federation of Delaware, where she acted as president of the Women's Division.

Jean was passionate about Holocaust education and spent decades listening to the stories of and talking with survivors, including her father-in-law, Henry Blumenfeld. Jean brought Henry to her children's schools several times over the years to share his story. She also co-chaired Beth Emeth's Capital and Endowment Campaign for three years, introducing the Blumenfeld Path of the Righteous Gentile as an integral part of the Schenker Holocaust Memorial Garden "in appreciation and honor of all the Righteous Gentiles who had the courage, compassion, and moral conviction to do everything they could to alleviate the suffering and save lives of the Jews against the inhumane actions of the Nazis." Jean considered her involvement in establishing the Blumenfeld Path of the Righteous Gentiles to be the most important work of her life, aside from raising her family and caring for her parents. She was a strong woman; her siblings remember her as the matriarch for their family after their mother's death.

Jean had an extremely big heart. She particularly loved animals and rescued many dogs and cats throughout her life. She participated in rescue transports with the National Great Pyrenees Rescue, and there was always room in her home and in her heart for any dog in need. Additionally, she was passionate about the conservation, preservation, and protection of wildlife and adopted several orphaned elephants through Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Jean is survived by her four children, Nathan, Rachel, Aaron, and Mary Blumenfeld; two granddaughters, Dawson and Lilah Turkington; two brothers, Scott and David Lodge; two sisters, Gail Lodge and Martha Lodge Helojoki; and, because she would have scolded us for not including them, her two rescue dogs, Blue and Trouble.

Burial services were private. A Celebration of Jean's Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.