Jean Monarque

Jean Carolyn (Luckensmeyer) Monarque, passed away on August 20, 2025, at the age of 95 in Salinas, California. She was born in Torrance, California, the middle daughter of Earl and Laura Luckensmeyer. Jean graduated from Huntington Park High School and then attended Los Angeles City College. She worked as a dental assistant for a number of years. Afterwards, she worked for W J Byrnes, Customs Brokers. Later, Jean was recruited to work for Brooks Brothers in San Francisco, California. After starting a family, she lived in Baltimore, Maryland, Tampico, Mexico, Lake Jackson, Texas, Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Salinas, California. Jean spent the 1970s in Pascagoula where she served as President of the Newcomers Club and was the President of the Sacred Heart School Board. While there, she obtained her real estate license. Jean and her family moved to Salinas, California in 1979, where she worked for Monterey County. She was a member of Northminster Presbyterian Church in Salinas. After she retired, Jean remained busy, she volunteered for the Steinbeck Center as a docent and also volunteered at a local credit union, where she performed audits. She took classes at Monterey and Hartnell Community Colleges in accounting and political science. Jean particularly enjoyed traveling to China, Hawaii, Europe, Oregon (for the Shakespeare Festival), the Grand Canyon, and Boston. She also enjoyed skiing and spending vacations in Big Bear, California with her family. Jean Monarque was preceded in death by her two sisters Felicia Luckensmeyer and Laura Hughes. She is survived by her two sons, Stephen (Brenda) Monarque and Charles (Bonita) Monarque as well as nieces, Kathy (Steve) Callan, Suzanne (Kim) Scholl, and Anita (Richard) Melcombe