Jean Ann (Gravesmill) Bolinger

Born on August 11, 1937, in Akron to Karl and Helen Gravesmill, Jean graduated at age 16 from Buchtel High School where she proudly served as the head majorette. Four years later, she graduated from The University of Akron with a degree in Education (Home Economics). In Akron, Oshkosh (Wisconsin), Coshocton, Cortland, and the other communities in which she lived, Jean was a tireless volunteer and, in 2007, was named one of the Community Stars in Trumbull County, awarded to “ordinary people who make life better through extraordinary caring.” Some examples of Jean’s “extraordinary caring” include organizing a church team to adopt a refugee family from Laos, encouraging her small church family to make over 2,000 quilts for Lutheran World Relief, co-owning and managing the Book Nook in Warren for 20 years where Jean and her husband donated over $50,000 in books to local schools, coordinating an Adopt-A-Foot campaign in Cortland that provided sturdy athletic footwear to hundreds of children, packing mobile meals and leading Rise Against Hunger events, both of which fed thousands of people, and organizing groups to volunteer at the Church World Services/Lutheran World Relief headquarters in New Windsor, MD. When she was not volunteering to improve the lives of others, Jean enjoyed vacationing with her family for 40+ years on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and dancing with Trumbull Senior Productions. Jean died peacefully on March 4, 2020, and is survived by her husband of 63 years, Clyde; four children: Merrilee (Ken) Jacobson, Anjalee Wagers, Loralee (Duane) Daily, and Chris (Libby) Bolinger; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Family and friends are invited to honor Jean at a memorial service on Sunday, March 8 at 3 p.m. at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Cortland, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Lutheran World Relief or the charity of your choice.

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