Madeline S. Jean

Madeline Jean, our dear, sweet, and so very loved wife, mom, grandma, and great-grandma, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 87 on Sunday, September 14, 2025, at Bay Medical Care Facility Rehabilitation in Hampton Township.
Madeline met the love of her life, Thomas D. Jean, at age 12. They married after graduation and spent the rest of her life inseparable. They would have celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary on October 26 of this year.
Madeline was a hardworking, compassionate woman who always put others before herself. She found her niche after taking a cake decorating class and began selling decorated cakes from her home. She went on to become a well-known wedding cake maker and eventually the proud owner of Jean's Cake and Candy Supplies, a retail store she and Tom operated for over 25 years, retiring in 2010.
In her free time, Madeline enjoyed tending to her beautiful yard and flower beds. She loved crafts, sewing, playing cards, solving the WordSearch puzzle in the Sunday Bay City Times, and having bonfires in the yard with neighbors.
Madeline is survived by her husband, Thomas D. (Tom) Jean; her son, Kevin (Lorie); and her daughter, Kelly; grandchildren: Stacy and Todd; and great-grandchildren: Victoria, Blake, Colton, Jase, and Natalie. She is also survived by a special cousin who was like a sister, Darlene (Jakubczak) Jacobs; a sister-in-law, Suzette Milkowski McGraw; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.
She was predeceased by her parents, Edmund and Mary (Jakubczak) Milkowski; her brothers, Frank, Dick, and Butch Milkowski; and her in-laws, Harold and Frannie Jean.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Anu Gollapudi and the 5East nursing staff at Covenant Cooper for the wonderful care they provided during Madeline's stay, as well as the staff at Bay Medical Care Facility Rehabilitation, who were helping her make great strides toward coming home.
The Funeral Mass for Madeline will be celebrated on Friday, September 19, 2025, at 10:00 AM at Our Lady of Peace Parish – St. Mary's Church, 607 E. South Union Street, Bay City, MI 48706. Fr. Nate Harburg will celebrate the Mass, and graveside interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Kawkawlin, Michigan.
Family and friends will gather at Squires Funeral Home, 211 N. Henry Street, Bay City, MI 48706 on Thursday, September 18, 2025, from 2:00 to 8:00 PM, and again at the church on Friday after 9:00 AM. A Parish Vigil Service for Madeline will be held Thursday evening at 7:00 PM at the funeral home.
Madeline was such a beautiful soul who brought nothing but good to the world. We are so very blessed to call her ours.