Ethel Wood Hester

Ethel Jean Wood Hester, age 94, a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, died peacefully in her sleep on Monday, April 18, 2016. Jean was born on September 2, 1921 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the only child of Archie and Florence May Beasley Wood. The Woods immigrated from England to Canada and were married at the end of WWI. The family came to the United States in 1923 and became US citizens. Jean received her education in Hollywood, California and attended Los Angeles Jr. College.

While working as a secretary for the Shell Oil Company in Los Angeles, she met her future husband, Robert W. Hester and they were married July 3, 1944. They had three wonderful children: Jeri Lee, Wayne Robert and John Wood, all having Masters degrees. During their long and happy marriage, they lived in Los Angeles, CA: Hobbs, N.M.; Tampa, FL; Bakersfield, CA; Tulsa, OK; Denver, CO; Midland, TX; Rye and Scarsdale, N.Y.; and Houston, TX before coming to Jacksonville, FL in 2004.

She has made Jacksonville, FL her home the last 12 years of her life in the loving care of her family and as a member of Hodges Blvd. Presbyterian Church where she will be interred. She lived with her husband in the Cypress Village Retirement Community.

Jean loved her family and was a devoted homemaker. She also loved to play golf; sew clothes for the family; knit and crochet items for her family and for future great-grandchildren, as well as for people and infants in local hospitals; gardening (including President of the Champions Garden Club); arts and crafts and lots of other volunteer organizations. And she loved chocolate!

Jean is survived by: her devoted husband Bob of almost 72 years; her daughter Jeri Lee H. Ross (George) of Jacksonville, FL; sons, Wayne R. Hester (Joanne) of Bridgewater, MA and John W. Hester (Rene’) of Bakersfield, CA.; her grandchildren, Darren Ross (Kimberly), Rebecca Ross Harkness (Trevor), Jill Hester Benitez (Benjamin), Brian Hester, Sarah Hester and Jonathan Hester (Jennifer); and her nine great-grandchildren, Tyler, Victoria and Annabelle Ross, Katie and Jackson Harkness, Graciella and Bronson Benitez, Hayley Moody, and Grace Hester.

A memorial service celebrating Jean’s life will be held at Hodges Blvd. Presbyterian Church, 4140 Hodges Blvd., Jacksonville 32224 on Friday, May 13th at 11:00 A.M. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to Hodges Blvd. Presbyterian Church in Jean’s name.