Dorothy ‘Jean’ Jefferis Riffle, 102, of Winter Park FL passed away on August 12, 2022. Born in Uniontown, PA on June 11, 1920 to Harvey and Bertha Jefferis, she lived in Pennsylvania until 1951 when the family moved to Alexandria Virginia, and then a Christmas 1962 visit to Florida prompted a move south the following year. Jean lived in Winter Park and then Casselberry before moving to the Winter Park Towers in 2000. Jean was married to her beloved husband Evans for 60 years before his passing in 2003. Preceded in death by her parents, Bertha (1985) and Harvey (1986), Evans (2003), and a daughter, Lynne (1985), also, her siblings Betty (2013) and Harvey ‘Junior’ (2021).
Jean worked at the Orlando Naval Training Center, where she received numerous citations and commendations for her diligent work. An avid gardener, she enjoyed both flowering (poinsettia) as well as fruit plants. She enjoyed vacations and trips with her siblings and their spouses, summer ‘swaps’ of nieces and nephews and continuous time-share getaways until her health prevented her from traveling. Their favorite trips included Alaska and Hawaii, and they spent many weeks in the mountains of North Carolina. During their time at Fairfield Mountains, they enjoyed picking wild blackberries for cobbler and feeding peanuts to the local squirrel population.
But the true joy of her life was family. ‘Nana’ (and eventually ‘Great Nana’) as she was fondly known, was the center of a large and loving family. She is survived by her son Gary (wife Lisa), of Sevierville Tennessee, son in law Syd (wife Gretchen) of Orlando Florida, eight grandchildren including the McCallisters: Michael (wife Heidi), Jonathan (wife Cara), Andrew (wife Keiko), Christopher (wife Emily), Molly (husband Brett) and Madelyn as well as the Riffles: Kimberly, and Adam (wife Rene) and a total of 10 great-grandchildren: Ryan, Hunter, Clara, Nora Ann, Nora Jean, Arya, Charlotte, Hana, Addison and Reese. She was also a ‘special aunt’ to many of her nieces and nephews.
Always wearing a smile, she delighted in the simple pleasures in life. A home cooked meal shared with family and friends, a card game, or even getting a ‘deal’ on something she was purchasing all brought her joy. In her later years, she enjoyed reading romance novels, so long as they weren’t ‘trashy’, Kozy Shack rice pudding and receiving visitors at the Winter Park Towers to hear updates about their lives.
We will cherish her memory forever and feel unbelievably lucky to have known her and been a part of her life. The life lessons and family values she instilled by her words and actions will carry on for many generations.
Funeral Services will be held Tuesday August 23 at Tuskawilla Presbyterian Church (3600 Aloma Ave, Oviedo FL 32765) with internment at Glen Haven Memorial Park (2300 Temple Dr. Winter Park FL 32789) to follow. In lieu of flowers, Jean graciously requested that donations be made to Tuskawilla Presbyterian Church, the Parkinson’s Foundation (parkinson.org) or the American Cancer Society (cancer.org).
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