Jean M. (Daughenbaugh) Thompson

Jean M. (Daughenbaugh)Thompson of Johnstown passed away suddenly on Thursday, March 19th at the age of 79. She was born in DuBois on August 6th, 1946 to the late William and Dorothy Daughenbaugh and grew up in Ellwood City. She attended Lincoln High School and was active in her church youth group as a teenager. Graduating from Slippery Rock University in 1968, she majored in secondary education with French as her concentration. While there, she was a member of the marching band's honor guard and belonged to the Kappa Delta sorority, both leading to friendships she cherished. After having children, she dedicated her time to being a stay-at-home mother and substitute teacher at Curwensville High School. She moved to Johnstown in 1985 and soon pursued her passion to become a French teacher. After working part-time at Ferndale and Bishop McCort High Schools, Jean made a permanent move to teach at Johnstown High School. Ignited by her love for the French culture, she and her students traveled to Quebec City, Canada where they absorbed the language and history while being educated by Jean along the way. She was revered by many students and showed a genuine interest in them as unique individuals, rather than just average high school teenagers. Jean remained active while continuing to camp at Cooper's Lake Campground in Slippery Rock, where many family memories were made with her children through the years. She also developed an interest in biking and trekked many miles with friends along rail trails. After retirement from JHS, she pursued the hobby of making stained glass projects. Her incredible attention to detail and talent for teaching eventually provided her with the opportunity to take over classes when the instructor stepped down. At the time of her passing, she was still actively teaching at her local arts center and consistently filled her classroom there year after year. She had a determined, spunky personality and was never afraid to speak her mind. Her knowledge knew no bounds and her repeated sharing of random facts earned her the nickname "Grammipedia" by her grandkids. Those who knew her well had the privilege of enjoying her lighthearted outlook on life as she grew older. Her occasional homemade margaritas were known to be "strong enough to take paint off the walls" and her nightly routine was a little splash of Fireball to end her day. Her children and grandchildren were her greatest love and she spent many vacations with family in the scenic mountains of New Hampshire and along the coast of Maine. Jean's other interests included watching her local Pittsburgh sports teams, reading voraciously, keeping her mind active with daily crosswords, and eating dessert for dinner. She is survived by her life partner Ron Ferguson of Keyser, WV, son Travis Thompson of Clearfield, daughter Heather Harmon of Greensburg, sister Linda Baldinger and husband Dave of Beaver Falls, grandchildren Natalie Stockman and husband Tyler of Concord, NH, Benjamin Harmon and fiancée Madisyn Buteau of Berlin, NH, Anastasia Thompson of Clearfield, nieces and nephews. At Jean's request, there will be no services, but a Celebration of Life gathering will occur at a later date. Because of Jean's unique interest and affection for elephants, those who wish to honor her memory can do so by making a donation to the International Conservation Center Elephant Sanctuary, 1487 Glen Savage Rd, Fairhope, PA 15538.

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