Jean Walech

Jean Louise (Wambach) Walech passed away on May 09, 2024, at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, California with her husband Terry at her side. Though Jean was battling cancer, her death was sudden, shocking family, friends and coworkers. Jean was born in Benson, MN on July 23, 1959, and was the sixth of eight children. Her family moved to Grinnell, IA when Jean was eleven years old. She graduated from Grinnell High School and went on to the University of Iowa where she earned her bachelor's degree in early childhood education in 1981. While at the University, Jean met her future husband Terry Walech, and they were married in 1984. Terry's military service took them to Southern California, then to Okinawa Japan and back to San Diego. Jean loved children and they all flocked to her. She was a second mom to her youngest sister, Andrea. Teenaged Jean was in high demand as a babysitter and taught swimming lessons and life guarded at the Grinnell pool. As an adult she was a favorite aunt. Jean and Terry took many nieces and nephews to Disneyland, Legoland, SeaWorld and the sunny San Diego beaches. Her career was devoted to children. As an early childhood educator, she first worked as a preschool teacher and then as a center director. In 1997, she started working for the Head Start Program in North San Diego County, where her friends and colleagues knew her as a lovable humanist. A gentle but strong warrior, Jean helped guide young children and their parents from newborn to three years old through sometimes difficult circumstances. She helped the little ones better understand the world around them, to feel loved and respected, to be curious and to explore new social activities. She encouraged her teachers to do the same, as she trained them on the latest official Head Start requirements. Jean also worked as a part time Danya contractor, doing site reviews of Head Start programs across the western United States. Jean enjoyed living near the Pacific Ocean and mountains and deserts of Southern California. She was known for always picking up a shell or a rock to bring home. She and Terry traveled to Hawaii, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and India as well as extensively in the USA to visit family and friends. Jean was an accomplished photographer, first taking it up in high school. She couldn't pass by a flower in full bloom or an active classroom without trying to capture it on camera. She treasured her family history and did research on Ancestry.com to connect with new relatives and build up her enormous family tree. She collected family photos and shared them online. Always a Hawkeyes fan, Jean enthusiastically watched every Iowa Hawkeye televised football game she could. She played competitive Fantasy Football with family members and loved watching the confetti canon declare her the winner. During the last two years, Jean excitedly watched the Iowa Hawkeye Women's Basketball Team score its way to two national championship games. Jean was preceded in death by her parents Wallace J. and Marie F. (Teiken) Wambach, her brother Daniel and her daughter Nicole Michelle. Notably, Jean passed on the same day in May as her daughter Nicole. She is survived by Terry Walech her husband of 40 years, six siblings; Catherine Wambach (Frank), Paul (Kathryn Makos), Joseph, Robert (Janet), Annette Larson (Glen), Andrea (Andrew Zimmer), 14 nieces and nephews, and too many cousins to count.