Owana Jean Vance, 85, of Phoenix, was born in Burkett, Texas August 20, 1927 on an oil lease. She expired on April 18, 2013 of complications from MRSA pneumonia. Her parents were Emmett and Maurine (Alice) Briscoe. About 1933 they moved to Marlow, Oklahoma; then in 1943 relocated to Mesa, Arizona. She attended Mesa Union High School where she met her high school sweetheart Calvin Vance, while working as an usherette at the Ritz Theater in Mesa. She later worked as a "Soda Jerk" at Mesa Drug. Cal and Jean were married on May 26, 1946 while Calvin was serving in the US Marine Corps. While waiting for Cal, Jean worked as a telephone operator. After his return she became pregnant with her oldest son Calvin Thomas. In 1948 she followed her husband to Mexico where he was working with the US Department of Agriculture on the Hoof and Mouth Eradication Program. They were stationed in a small fishing village, Zihuatanejo, Guerrero. At the time it had a population of approximately 250. Zihuatanejo eventually became a resort called Ixtapa Zihuatanejo and outstripped Acapulco as a go to place. Other stations in Mexico were Zitacuaro, Michoacan and Jilotepec in the State of Mexico, in Mexico. After Mexico they moved back to Mesa, where she gave birth to her second son Mark Edward. Cal joined The Arizona Highway Patrol and they were stationed in Holbrook, Benson, Superior and Sierra Vista. While living in Sierra Vista, she gave birth to her third son Jeffry Burton, at the Tombstone Clinic. In 1969 they moved to Phoenix. While in Phoenix, Jean worked as a volunteer at Phoenix Memorial Hospital, and then as a traveling volunteer for Hospice of the Valley. She later worked as an office receptionist for several doctors, ultimately retiring in 1992. On March 23, 2013 Jean fell, fracturing her hip and was hospitalized at Phoenix Baptist Hospital. After successful hip replacement surgery she was transferred to North Mountain Rehabilitation center where she contracted MRSA. She expired at 6:40 AM on April 18, 2013, at HOSPICE OF THE VALLEY - Gardiner Home. Jean is survived by her husband, Calvin F. Vance, two sons, Calvin T. Vance and Jeffry B. Vance, two grandsons, Johnathon E. Vance and Daniel B. Vance, and two great-granddaughters, Xochitl E. Vance and Madeline M.Vance. Services will be held at the Chapel of North Phoenix Baptist Church, 5757 N. Central Ave. on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Viewing will begin at 10:00 AM with services commencing at 11:00 AM. She will be interred at Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery, 2300 W. Van Buren in Phoenix. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made in Jean's name to: HOSPICE OF THE VALLEY - Gardiner home, 1522 W. Myrtle Ave., Phoenix AZ 85021-7939. www.hov.org/donation
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