Jean Boutwell

Born in Jasper County, Miss. on May 6, 1942 to two schoolteachers, Lamar and Pearl Youngblood, Jean grew up amid lively political and intellectual conversations that formed her strong and open-minded character from an early age. She graduated from Newton High School in Newton, Miss., and went on to earn a B.A. in Early Childhood Education with a minor in German from Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C. In 1961, Jean married her high school sweetheart, Ken Boutwell, to whom she was devoted for 59 years. Their marriage was a true union of mutual respect, love, and friendship, and was an inspiration to many.

Jean was a woman of great strength, ambition, compassion, and curiosity. She loved her family fiercely and unconditionally, and those who knew her often commented on her beauty, dignity, wisdom, and uncompromising integrity. She was an avid reader and often had books of a variety of genres by her side.

The founder of BestSellers Realty, she was a real estate broker in Tallahassee for more than 35 years. After retiring, she began managing the finances of Vineyard Capital Partners, a private equity investment firm. A member of First Baptist Church, Tallahassee since 1970, she held a genuine faith in God and had a unique ability to speak the truth with love and encouragement. Always a forward-thinking woman, she lived by the words of activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton: “I shall not grow conservative with age.”

Jean and Ken loved to travel together and enjoyed many annual trips touring the world. Often inviting family members on their journeys, their adventures included walking 90 miles of El Camino de Santiago in Spain, hiking Machu Picchu, exploring Senegal, touring China, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, Norway, Finland, Ireland, England, and Central Europe, and driving across the United States. They instilled this love of travel in their children, taking many camping trips in the Southeastern U.S. and in Europe when their children were young.

Jean is survived by her husband, Ken; her three children, Jennifer Patty (Jimmy), Jeff Boutwell, and Julie Boutwell-Peterson (Robert); her nine grandchildren, Michael Leach (Meghan), Casey Leach, Eli Peterson, Isabel Peterson, Faith Peterson, Jacob Patty, Jackson Patty, Jenna Grace Patty, and Julianne Patty; two step-grandchildren, Brandon Patty (Brittney), and Daniel Patty (Sarah); two brothers, William Youngblood (Nanci), and James Youngblood; a brother-in-law, Wayne Boutwell (Loletta); a sister-in-law, Mae Dell Boutwell; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Second Harvest of Big Bend at www.fightinghunger.org.