Jennifer Boyd

Jennifer Stein Boyd

Jennifer Stein Boyd, nee Jennifer Beth Stein, passed away in her home on December 23, 2019, surrounded by the love of her husband Chris and three daughters Lily, Jessie, and Laura. Jennifer's warmth, inner light, depth of character, loving soul, indefatigable humor, and unique combination of fierce determination and grace cast a radiant glow on this world and especially on the many people who were blessed to know her. Jennifer's achievements as an elementary school teacher and librarian were outshone only by the extraordinarily deep friendships she made and sustained with so many people and by her loving family relationships as a sister, daughter, wife and mother.

Born in Milburn, New Jersey on October 5, 1966, Jennifer was a third-generation American whose grandparents emigrated from Eastern Europe and Russia at the turn of the 20th century. Her parents, Ruth Stein (nee Sussman) and Alan Stein, were born and raised in Brooklyn and Philadelphia, respectively, and were blessed with a 65-year loving marriage. Jennifer was the youngest sibling by a considerable margin, being seven years younger than her sister Julie and 11 years younger than her brother Paul. Jennifer was a cherished member of her family in which her happy, kind, fun-loving and always supportive demeanor played a foundational role.

Jennifer's family moved to San Francisco in 1970. Jennifer was an excellent student and attended Marin Country Day School, San Francisco University High School, and then the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1988. She worked for two years in New York for a public relations agency, then decided to become a teacher and moved back to Northern California to attend the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education, where she graduated in 1992 with her Masters' degree in Education and teaching credential.

For the next eight years, Jennifer lived in San Francisco and taught at Hillsborough's North School, first as a third-grade homeroom teacher and then as a math specialist. After the births of her three daughters, Jennifer earned her Masters of Library and Information Science degree from San Jose State in 2010. For the next eight years, she served as the school librarian at Commodore Sloat School, an elementary school in San Francisco.

Jennifer was a superb elementary school teacher and librarian. She loved working with children, first in the classroom and later in the library, and took great pride in helping them learn and grow. She was beloved at both Hillsborough's North School and San Francisco's Commodore Sloat School, and received frequent recognition and gratitude from students, parents, and fellow teachers.

While sweet and kind to the core, Jennifer also had a strong inner strength, focus, and drive. Anyone who ever suggested to Jennifer that she could not do something that interested her was promptly proven quite mistaken. As a grade schooler, she completed a rock climbing program without ever having climbed a rock or done much of anything in sports. As a college student, she spent a year abroad in Italy taking courses that were taught exclusively in Italian, even though she had little prior knowledge of the language. In 1998, she completed a 550-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to support AIDS research without having ever ridden a bike more than a few miles. And she got her MLIS degree in a distance learning program while serving as a full-time mother to three very young daughters.

Jennifer was also very creative and a talented craftsperson. While she was good at most any skill involving her hands, she especially loved to knit. Those that knew her well, invariably were blessed with at least one of her beautiful creations. Jennifer's creative and joyful soul also led her to develop a love of dancing. Initially inspired by observing her daughter Lily's dance classes, she enrolled in a highly energetic aerobic dance class at ODC and never looked back. Predictably, Jennifer came to love and be loved by her tight-knit troupe of fellow dancers and teachers. Weekends at "Dance Camp" and performing in flash mobs and San Francisco's Gay Pride Parade are just a few examples of how her passion infused into this special interest of hers.

Though so very capable at achieving her personal goals, Jennifer is best remembered as a true and great friend to a large number of people from all parts of her life. Her warmth and strong interest in others helped her make many friends, and she then nurtured her relationships steadily, consistently and with great joy. She gave generously of her time, support, warmth, wit, wisdom and leadership to so many people, and they reciprocated with great affection. The outpouring of love from her large group of friends on her passing has been overwhelming in the most wonderful way. Jennifer's positive influence on the people that she touched was exceptional and her imprint on the scores of children and adults alike, will be enduring.

The most important relationships in Jennifer's life were those with her husband and daughters. Jennifer met her husband Chris Boyd through mutual friends in November 1995. Their connection was immediate and they were married in San Francisco in June 1997. Jennifer and Chris shared values and priorities, made room for each other to grow as individuals, enjoyed a rich social life, and gave back to their community. The most impressive result of their loving and respectful relationship was their three wonderful daughters who now, as young women, embody and move forward with the grounded, thoughtful and caring qualities imparted to them by their parents. Jennifer set a dazzling example for her daughters, as people and as women.

While Jennifer's life on Earth was too short, her brilliance will radiate eternally through everything that she did and every life that she touched. Jennifer is survived and forever missed by her husband Chris, her three daughters Lily, Jessie, and Laura, her mother Ruth and her two siblings Julie and Paul.