Jean Marie Whalen

Jean Marie Whalen “Jeannie”, 81, of San Diego, California, passed away on February 14, 2024 after a two and a half year battle with cancer. She was born on October 17, 1942, in San Diego to Joseph and Kathleen Whalen who are now with her in heaven.

Jeannie was born and raised here in San Diego. She attended St. Patrick’s Elementary School, then graduated from Our Lady of Peace High School in 1960. She majored in English and minored in French while receiving her B.A. from SDSU in 1964. After SDSU, she spent a year studying in France and traveling throughout Europe, before getting her Master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) in 1968.

Jeannie Spent 16 years as a librarian first at Ohio State University, then back here in San Diego before settling in Albany, NY at the University at Albany’s SUNY campus. In 1984 she moved back to San Diego to help her sister care for their ailing father and settled here permanently after his passing. In 1987 she went to work for California Western School of Law. Over the next 27 years she would make herself an invaluable and irreplaceable member of the CWSL Family, before retiring in 2014. Jeannie loved working in the law school admissions department which gave her the opportunity to interact with students that would fondly remember her long after they graduated.

Jeannie’s major passion in life was bridge. A voracious bridge player, both with her lifelong SUNY Albany friends who for years gathered in San Diego for fun, laughter and bridge; and her South Pacific Bridge Club which she joined in 1971 and where she would spend the next 53 years with some of her closest friends celebrating births, anniversaries, graduations, and grand kids. They also traveled together frequently and “occasionally” played some bridge. She is surely already bidding it up with Mary Helen, Kathy and Joanne in heaven. She also loved reading, the San Diego Padres, and tennis. In addition to traveling to most major tennis tournaments in the area, she and her sister and their close friends had season tickets to the Padres, the Old Globe theatre, San Diego Summer Pops, and Broadway San Diego.

She is survived by her sister Mary McDonald, her two nephews Dan and Joe, as well as numerous close friends and extended family, including Crystal, Donna, Susan, and her Cousin Peggy. She also leaves behind her Bridge Sisters in the South Pacific Bridge Club.

Jeannie was a devoted sister to Mary and a beloved aunt to Dan and Joe. She was a woman of strong Catholic faith and possessed an incredible inner light that she used to fight stage 4 cancer for 2 ½ years with strength and dignity, rarely complaining and always grateful for the good days when she could go out and play bridge with the SPBC. Jeannie will be deeply missed by all who knew her, and her memory will live on in the hearts of those she touched.

A Visitation for Jeannie will be held at Goodbody Mortuary (5027 El Cajon Blvd. 92115) on Friday, February 23rd, from 5-7pm, with a Rosary at 6pm. The Funeral Mass will take place the following morning, Saturday, February 24th, at 11am at St. Patrick's Church, (3585 30th Street, 92104) followed by a burial service at Holy Cross Cemetery.