JEAN ASHBY JOHNSON SIMS

1922 - 2017

JEAN ASHBY JOHNSON SIMS died September 3, 2017, at Granite Farms Estates retirement community in Media, Pa. She was born in Huntington, W.Va., on January 17, 1922, the daughter of Eugene Johnson and Flora Smith Johnson, and was the niece of Wiatt Smith of the Huntington Herald-Dispatch. She received her B.A. from Marshall College, now University, in 1942. She especially enjoyed studying history with Prof. Robert Largent and Spanish with Prof. Juan Fors. She joined the Navy WAVES in 1943 and achieved the rank of Lieutenant JG. Her World War II memoir is available through the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. In addition to being an avid reader and collector of books on local, U.S. and European history and culture, Jean Ashby was a skilled needlewoman and a member of the Philadelphia Chapter, Embroiderers' Guild of America. A resident of Merion Station, Pa., for 38 years, she served on the altar guild of All Saints Episcopal Church, Wynnewood, Pa., and as secretary of the Diocesan Altar Guild, Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. Jean Ashby was also active in the Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania and volunteered her time and talents to Philadelphia-area health care institutions such as Inglis House, Jefferson Hospital and Fair Acres Geriatric Center. She donated her body for scientific research through Humanity Gifts Registry of Pennsylvania. She was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene, and her son, Jefferson. She is survived by her daughters, Emily of Philadelphia and Sally of Silver Spring, Md.; her son, John of Tyler, Texas; and two grandchildren. Services will be held October 30 at 2 p.m. at Granite Farms Estates, 1343 W. Baltimore Pike, Media, PA 19063, with the Rev. Alfred Muli officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Jean Ashby Johnson Sims Memorial Scholarship by sending a check made payable to the Marshall University Foundation, 519 John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV 25703, with the scholarship name on the memo line; or by going to www.marshall.edu/foundation and clicking on "Give Now." Under "I would like my gift to benefit" choose "Other - use Comments to specify." In the Comments box, please specify the scholarship name.