Obituary of Jeanne Caroline Boop

Jeanne Caroline Boop, 88, passed away peacefully in Cocoa Beach, Florida on Saturday, June 15, 2013. Jeanne was born on November 7, 1924 in Trois Rivieres, Quebec, Canada to her parents, Arthur and Maria Sansoucy Beliveau, growing up as one of ten children. She was part of a very loving and giving family. Her father gave often to others in need and Jeanne was always doing the same. Education was very important and her dad would often make all the kids solve math problems at the dinner table before being allowed to leave the table. Obviously, they were all good in math with Bernadette her sister obtaining a PhD in math. Jeanne attended a catholic school in her early years, then spent a year at a finishing school and after graduating sought a career in nursing, earning her R.N. degree from the University of Montreal in Canada. She lived with an aunt for several years, where she learned to become an incredible cook which she took great pride in. JeanneGÇÖs family and friends thoroughly enjoyed her cooking throughout her life. She came to the U.S. at age 19 to pursue her nursing career, being offered a scholarship to learn cardiac nursing at Yale University and while there met a dear friend Connie Chagaris. During this time, Jeanne would also serve as a cook for the former U.S. Ambassador of Ottawa, Canada for a year. After completing her training, she and Connie traveled the U.S. as private duty nurses. One of their highlights was caring for the owner of the Almaden winery while living in Mexico. Finally, their travels took them to San Francisco, and it was at a dinner party given by ConnieGÇÖs uncle, the mayor of San Francisco at the time, where she met the love of her life, Joseph Boop who was serving in the Navy. They dated and lived in San Francisco for 5 years before marrying in September 1955 in Charleston, S.C. and it would be the best decision each would ever make in their lives. They had a truly amazing relationship that most could only dream of. Jeanne never wanted for anything. Joe was the most loyal, unselfish, and generous husband and father that you would ever want. Jeanne was a wonderful mother and wife who always thought of Joe and her son before herself, and was always helping Joe with whatever project he was doing and never told Joe what to do. They had such great respect for each other and were totally in love for all the years they were together. Jeanne and Joe eventually moved to the Syracuse, N.Y. area where she became the school nurse at Liverpool High School. Jeanne returned to school and obtained a B.S. in Nursing from Syracuse University in 1965. In 1968, she changed careers and became the only upper level French teacher at Liverpool High School. Jeanne, again returned to school to obtain a MasterGÇÖs in Education from Syracuse University in 1976, continuing to teach French at the school until 1987. To this day her former students continue to ask about her when they see her son. Jeanne and Joe retired to an oceanside condo in Cocoa Beach, FL in 1987 where they greatly enjoyed walks on the beach, the sounds and sights of the ocean, seafood dinners and the numerous shuttle launches from nearby Cape Canaveral. Jeanne was preceded in death by her loving husband Joe, her parents and six siblings. Survivors include her only son, Dr. Jim Boop and wife Linda, of Lubbock, TX; 1 brother Jean-Claude, 2 sisters Claire and Bernadette, along with numerous nieces and nephews. The Hospice care Jeanne received was a blessing from God. The family cannot adequately express our gratitude for their amazing compassion and dedication to minimize her pain and allow her to remain at home, as was her wish for her final months, while living as normal a life as possible. She still was able to go out to dinner regularly and thoroughly enjoyed playing cards weekly with her friends. We also wish to express a sincere and deep gratitude to her best friend in Florida, Sally Ballew, who in our minds was more like a sister to her. They greatly enjoyed each otherGÇÖs company and Sally visited or called every day to check on her, even though she had her own family and work obligations. Sally was always there for Jeanne no matter what and gave more of herself than one could possibly expect. Words cannot adequately express our familyGÇÖs gratitude for all that Sally did to make JeanneGÇÖs life so much more enjoyable. God Bless you. Jim, her son, along with her many friends and family will remember Jeanne with her beautiful smile and great generosity along with her enduring sacrifice and devotion to her husband and son. Jeanne loved to cook and every dinner was an elegant presentation, well prepared with lots of color and variety. Everyone always felt you were dining at a 5 star restaurant. There was no such thing as serving a simple meal. She was the ultimate caretaker, taking wonderful care of Joe in his later years when he had AlzheimerGÇÖs. She lived life with grace and dignity and with a smile. Jeanne was always impeccably dressed. She took great pride in her outfits; always well-coordinated with her hats and the appropriate jewelry to match. Jeanne had a great sense of humor, although at times she unintentionally would make people laugh when French did not always translate well into English. It was her dedication along with JoeGÇÖs that provided her son with the opportunity to pursue his career as a physician. Jeanne and her husband, Joe were part of The Greatest Generation which is aptly named for their great sacrifice and dedication to this country and similarly to their families. As her only son, I had a relationship with my mom Jeanne and dad Joe which both heartens and comforts me during this very difficult time. They were truly wonderful and exceptional parents that gave me so many opportunities. They both meant so much to so many people and I will always cherish them as role models, best friends, the loving parents they both were to me, and being there for me while also always understanding despite some mistakes along the way. They both taught me a great deal about life and the people I am honored to serve. That has made me a better physician. Jeanne will be gone, but will never be forgotten in our hearts. Goodnight Mom, I love you. JeanneGÇÖs final resting place will in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA., next to her beloved husband, Joe, following a private ceremony.In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Vitas Hospice at 4450 West Eau Galle Blvd., Suite 250, Melbourne, FL 32934 or to your local Hospice.