Jeanne Manley Hines

To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour.”

William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

There is no love quite greater than a grandmother’s, and Jeanne Manley Hines was the embodiment of care, kindness, loyalty and unconditional love until the moment she left us on Monday May 6th, 2024, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Her story can go on in thousands of words. Here are some of the many highlights of her immense, yet humble life, weaving her way through it with elegance and love.

On May 15th, 1938, on a Sunday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Jeanne Louise Manley entered the world, in turn gracing the next three generations with her presence. A natural beauty: tall, blonde, blue-eyed, and graceful, but it was as if she never knew just how beautiful she really was. Although popular and studious, Jeanne often befriended those eating alone in the food hall, and would invite them out to one of the many fashion shows she modeled in.

In 1958, she met her first husband of forty years at the University of Tulsa, William “Bill” A. Hines. Scandal broke in Tulsa when they eloped just a few months later and moved to Wichita, KS. This began her first true calling: becoming a mother. Sydney, Bubba, and Bennie were to follow (in that order), settling her new family in New Orleans, LA. She sewed every outfit, cheered on at every football game, attended every riding lesson, watched every play, and made every meal. Her children knew nothing but her encompassing love and unwavering support for them all.

When she wasn’t with one of her children, she was reading one of her many books, or winning a club championship in golf, or planning one of the many social events held at her home in Old Metairie. Jeanne’s innate southern hospitality led her to host a whirlwind of events, entertaining guests from first ladies to A-List celebrities. She always knew the right flowers for every occasion, the proper tableware and service for a formal event, and exuded grace at every turn. She knew no stranger. Jeanne was unequivocally sensational.

Her best chapter came in 1986, when she became a grandmother, and was only formally known as Jeanne. Enter: Baba.

Every weekend spent at Baba’s was an event within itself: swimming for hours, combing the beach for Hermit crabs, picking fresh satsumas from the backyard, and playing ball in the grass, always to come inside for a much-needed hug and Hershey’s kiss from her candy drawer. Christmas was a sight to behold. Her house decked in lights and garland, with the tree meticulously decorated with decades of delicately collected ornaments, piles of presents opened in chronological order, from oldest to youngest, all for her six grandchildren. Baba was always making something for them, just as she had for her three children. Every grandchild had their own customized needlepoint stocking upon their birth, then handmade ornaments for the years to come, often in the shape of an initial or seasonal scene, all perfectly stitched. Her house was filled with her needlework; she was a true artist. She created an entire community through her artistry when she opened The Stitch Niche in Pass Christian, MS, and naturally her first parttime employee: a grandchild.

She was always surrounded by one of her grandchildren, and they, her. Her life’s purpose and dedication was her family. Fiercely protective, but so loving and gentle, there was always a place in her arms for a laugh or a cry. Her heart was home, and it held us all.

How lucky were those to have known her kindness and love? The luckiest people in the world, I’d say.

Jeanne was preceded in her death by her parents, Barbara S. Manley and Harold W. Manley, her sister Beverley M. Bowman.

She is survived by her daughter, Sydney L. Hines. Her eldest son and his wonderful wife, William “Bubba” M. Hines and Donna B. Hines, and her youngest son, Benjamin R. Hines. Her six grandchildren: her eldest grandson William “Billy” M. Hines, Jr. and his wife, Brit S. Hines. Her eldest granddaughter, Jeanne L. Pitre, followed by Lindsay Q. Pitre and Brandon C. Jung, John “Jay” P. Pitre, Jr. and Ashton H. Pitre, Christopher R. Hines, and Meredith H. Musselman and William G. Musselman. Finally, her three great-grandchildren: Henry R. Hines, William S. Hines, and John P. Pitre, III.

Celebration of Life services were held privately.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA),alzfdn.org

Written by: Lindsay Q. Pitre