Jean Alberta Wanner

Jean Alberta Wanner (nee Nosker), retired physician of Chicago, Illinois, Beverly Shores, Indiana and Edgewater, Maryland passed away peacefully on August 5, 2025 in Edgewater.
Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jean graduated from Patrick Henry High School and was the second of four children. She earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota, and over twenty years later earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Des Moines University School of Medicine.
After college Jean joined the Peace Corp and travelled to Puerto Rico, where she became fluent in Spanish. Upon starting her career as an occupational therapist, she worked at River Edge Hospital in Forest Park, Illinois serving the mental health and occupational needs of young people from the community. It was there that she met her core group of lifelong friends and her soul mate, a social worker named John Wanner, whom she married in 1980. Several years later Jean pivoted to feed her artistic soul and worked as a full-time artist. Then, her lifelong dream of becoming a physician took flight in her mid-forties, and she dove into completing the required pre-med courses and started medical school. Upon graduation, she earned a residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and then worked as the head of inpatient rehabilitation in Munster, Indiana until her retirement in 2005. Jean cared deeply for her patients as they recovered from strokes, heart attacks, or traumatic brain injuries. She combined her expertise in occupational therapy and rehabilitation medicine to prepare her patients for their lives at home.
Family and friends were at the heart of everything that Jean did and her bright smile always lit up the room. She was the loving and dedicated stepmom for 45 years to Jason Brent (Melissa) and the late Mark John, and the playfully devoted Grandma to Blake, Katherine and Grant. Jean enjoyed splitting her time over the past two decades between their home in Beverly Shores, Indiana and their home several blocks from Jason and his family.
Preceded in death by her loving and devoted husband and life partner, John Wanner.
Sister of John (aka Jan), Judy, and Jim, and many nieces and nephews. Daughter of the late Albert Z and Phoebe Alberta Nosker (nee Roth).
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jean's honor to the Dementia Society of America (www.DementiaSociety.org/donate).