INDIANAPOLIS
Jean Marie Manson, age 77, died peacefully at home on July 27th after a long battle with cancer. Jean lived every day of her life so that her death would be precisely as it was, fortified with all the graces the Catholic Church offers, surrounded by her husband and daughters.
Jean was born on July 26th, 1947, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to James Medcalf and Florence Adams Medcalf. After a happy childhood on Edgewood Street, she graduated from Southport High School in 1965. While working at Eli Lilly, she met Paul Manson on a blind date and said she immediately knew he was the man she’d marry. They married on June 10th, 1967, and soon moved to Ft. Riley, KS, where their first daughter, Leah, was born. Paul was deployed to Stuttgart, Germany, where they lived on and off base. Jean treasured the memories from those early days and kept mementos through the decades.
Jean and Paul raised all seven girls in Indianapolis. They created a warm and loving home, always welcoming and including the girls’ friends. Jean’s bright smile would light up a room, and her gentle and intuitive kindness made her a mother to all. Jean had the rare ability and energy to make everyone around her feel comfortable and happy. Jean had a great eye and found much joy in curating beautiful things, decorating her home, and sharing them with her family and friends. If she wanted to do something, she jumped right in and figured out how to get it done. Whether it was wallpapering, sewing projects, or any other task, she could do it, and well.
Jean’s selflessness was evident in her tireless generosity at the church. She was involved in St. Joseph’s remodeling, repair, and upkeep from the earliest days and cleaned the church weekly for decades. She also helped care for priests, whether cleaning for her dear friend of many years, Fr. O’Connor, or in more recent years, hosting priests on the weekends, giving them a comfortable home away from home. She was Paul’s supportive fishing companion. She enjoyed their many trips to Florida and Michigan with their girls. She was rooted in a vast spirit of self-sacrifice, as she dedicated her life to her family and faith. Even through her long battle with cancer, instead of being afraid or sad, she consoled any sadness with an “Oh honey, this isn’t a sad thing” as she lived her life with one clear goal: to die well before she woke to eternal life.
Jean is survived by her husband, Paul Manson; her daughters, Leah Pinder (Jeff), Jennifer Scheid (Scott), Rebecca Peters (Shawn), Sarah Cummings (Ron), and Elizabeth Manson (Misty); her daughters, Rachael Manson and Katie Manson; her 13 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; her sisters, Kathy Butcher (Max), Rita Wilkins (Pat), and Mary Moats; and her brothers, Daniel Medcalf (Michelle), Chris Medcalf, and Joseph Medcalf and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Florence Medcalf; her parents-in-law, Paul and Lois Manson; her brother-in-law, Ken Moats; and her niece and nephew, Laura Medcalf and Carl Wuensch.
Visitation will be held from 4 pm to 8 pm on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at Simplicity Funeral Home, 7520 Madison Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46227. A Requiem Mass is scheduled for 10 am on Thursday, August 1, 2024, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 245 W. Broadway Street, Greenwood, Indiana 46142. Burial will follow the Mass at Greenwood Cemetery, 620 W. Main St., Greenwood, IN 46142. A luncheon and open house will be held after the burial at The Sycamore at Mallow Run, 7070 Bargersville, IN 46106.
Charitable donations can be made to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 245 W. Broadway Street, Greenwood, Indiana 46142.
You are invited to read Jean’s obituary at www.stpierrefamilyfuneral.com, where you may sign the guest book and leave a personal message for the family.
