Jean LaVinger

Jean Marie (Utley) LaVinger, 70, passed away December 28, 2024, at Providence Saint Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, California. Jean was born in Columbus, Ohio on August 22, 1954, to parents Dr. Francis Lee and Ruth Alice (Scott) Utley.

Jean graduated from Upper Arlington High School in 1972 and from The Ohio State University in 1978 with a BA in French language and literature. She later picked up and moved across the country to live in the California sunshine where she enjoyed the rest of her days. There she met the love of her life, Allen LaVinger, with whom she shared a marriage full of good humor and many adventures. Jean was best known for being a lover, seller, critic, and high-level consumer of books as well as a frequent traveler to see many beautiful and interesting places in the world. She and Allen could never resist a good pun and shared them yearly in their holiday cards.

Jean held multiple positions in retail management over the years but it all circled back to her beloved books, particularly her time managing Book'em Mysteries in South Pasadena until it closed in 2014. It was here that she established a strong community of both readers and writers which continues to this day. Notably, these connections continued virtually through the pandemic at a time when it was vital for everyone's well-being. She stayed vibrantly involved in the publishing community through multiple annual book conventions. Her heart belonged to Left Coast Crime which she attended, chaired, and remained a central part of the community for many years. She was known to connect authors and publishers together for their mutual benefit. Jean was also a fervent supporter of various arts and causes, including the Parson's Nose Theater in Pasadena, among others. Many of the people she met became life-long friends and chosen family. If you were part of her circle, you always felt her warmth, humor and support from her avid correspondence and prolific social media presence.

Jean was preceded in death by her parents Francis and Ruth, her brothers Philip Lee Utley and Scott (Pauline) Utley, her husband Allen LaVinger and stepson Steven LaVinger. She is survived by her nephews John (Julie) Utley of Charlotte, NC and Jared (Megan) Utley of Powell, her niece Rhea (Jacques Coté) Utley of Quebec, QC, step-daughter Victoria LaVinger of Baldwin Hills, CA, her step-niece Lisa (Eric Rousculp) DuVernay of Worthington, OH, and step-nephew Todd (Lisa) DuVernay of Madison, AL, and her grand-nieces and nephews Jillian Utley, Lucas & Alexis Coté, and Reed & Rowan Utley as well as her step-grands, Steven (Corinna) LaVinger Jr of Quitaque, TX, Danielle (Nate) Bacon of Golden Hills, CA and Eric (Kara) LaVinger of Mechanicsburg, PA. She truly loved supporting all of her people and did so as often as possible.

Memorials for Jean will be held in the near future. Family will gather in Columbus to celebrate Jean and her brother Scott later this year. Friends and family in California will hold a celebration of her life at a less chaotic time due to the situation of many upended by the LA wildfires. In lieu of flowers, there are many causes that Jean held close to heart, but right now, the one that matters above all else is democracy. Not the political kind, but the capital-D democracy. The kind that protects all of us and our say in the government. Whether it is with your time, your voice, or through financial means, please stand up for the rights of all people, especially the marginalized.