Jean Rose (Twarog) Woodall died peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, February 3 at her home in Rocklin, California. She was 80 years old.

Jean was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on December 1, 1943, the youngest of Walter and Stefania (Struziak) Twarog’s six children. ‘Baby Jean’ was 11 years younger than her nearest sibling, and she endured a difficult childhood. Her mother died when Jean was only 10, and she spent many of her formative years living with extended family. Despite these challenges, or perhaps because of them, Jean became proudly independent at age 17 with a full time job at Mass Mutual Insurance Co., her own apartment, and a red ‘56 Chevy.

At the age of 20, Jean married Armand J. Minnie. Together they had two sons, Brian and Mark, who along with her grandchildren were Jean’s greatest joy in life. After a move west to California, they both remarried and remained friends while co-parenting their young sons. Jean re-entered the workforce, becoming a successful salesperson at California Capacitor and later Arrow Electronics. While working at CalCap, she met her second husband Roger Woodall. They enjoyed 10 years of marriage until his untimely passing in 1992. In 2000, Jean made her final move to Rocklin, CA with Gene Upton. Gene was her companion of 28 years and the love of her life - together they were known as “a pair of jeans” and had a dog named Levi. They enjoyed their grandchildren, traveling, and hosting their famous Tahoe family vacations.

Jean’s challenging upbringing inspired her to generously shower affection and love on her family, friends, and really everyone she met. As a young mother she loved making elaborate birthday cakes for her sons, and she always had homemade goodie bags and special gifts for all of her grandchildren. She loved to make people laugh; her quick wit and jokes always got a smile and made people feel good. Her generosity had no bounds. She loved cooking elaborate meals for others, organizing neighborhood parties, volunteering at schools and hospitals, and always being there for friends and neighbors in need. 

Jean is survived by her sons, Brian Minnie and his wife Christine, Mark Minnie and his wife Kristin, and her grandchildren Brandon, Kyle, Katelyn, Alex, Brooke, Hannah, Ben, and Meagan. She is preceded in death by her siblings Stanley, Helen, Emily, Julie, and Walter, her husband Roger Woodall (d. 1992), her dear companion Gene Upton (d. 2021), and her grandson Matthew Burrows (d. 2022).

In accordance with her wishes, Jean’s ashes will be interred in the St. Francis of Assisi Memorial Garden in San Jose, California.