Jean Holden

1927 - 2019

Jean Shumway Holden, 91, of Amherst, MA passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 18th at Coleman House in Northborough, MA.

Jean was born in 1927 in Northampton, MA to Frank "Hal" Holden formerly of Hawley, MA and Mary Reed Pettingell Holden formerly of Newbury, MA.

Jean grew up in Northampton and enjoyed working in the family grocery store and hunting woodchucks with her father.

She was a graduate of Northampton High '44 and Bates College '48. Jean spent her career as a Purchasing Manager at MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

Jean and her sister, Marcia (1921-2015), retired to Amherst in the 1980s and continued to enjoy travelling, including all 50 states, many trips to Europe, and Australia and New Zealand. They frequently travelled with the Learning in Retirement program. Jean enjoyed helping out at the Munson Memorial Library in Amherst and volunteered with several community organizations. Memorably, Jean and her sister manned the Information Booth in Amherst where they combined their local expertise with the opportunity to assist travelers. In the past year, Jean continued to volunteer with the Amherst Survival Center.

Jean was the last of the Holden family line but will be remembered fondly by many friends, cousins, and neighbors, including the Gudell family of Sunderland, the Cadman/Miller family of Northborough, and her oldest friend, Betty McKown of Northampton.

Jean will be interred with her family at Bridge Street Cemetery in Northampton.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jean's memory to the Amherst Survival Center.