Resident of Sunnyvale

Jean Aldene Nix (Telford) passed away at Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara on December 23, 2024, after suffering a severe case of pancreatitis only 12 days before. Her passing was unexpected as she had been healthy all her life, having been in the hospital for only hip surgery and the births of her three children. Jean was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 1936, where her father, Charles W. Telford, was a professor at the University of North Dakota. She moved, first to Salt Lake City and then to San Jose in 1948, where her father became a professor of psychology at San Jose State College.

It was at Roosevelt Junior High School and the youth group at the First Methodist Church in San Jose where Jean met Bill, the love ofher life. Jean and Bill went on their first date at age 13, remained close friends for several years, and later went on to enjoy a 66-year marriage full of family and adventure. After attending San Jose High School, where she graduated near the top of the class, Jean enrolled at San Jose State College, planning to major in mathematics but later switched to psychology. She received her BA in psychology in three and a half years and later an MA in that same field. Jean went on to receive credentials that permitted her to do testing for learning disabilities, IQ testing, and advising in local schools. During her working career in psychology, she continued her education by taking classes in computer science, which she later used in her career as a technical writer for computer companies.

After receiving her BA degree, Jean applied for a teaching position in psychology at San Jose City College but was told that while there were no openings in psychology, the college did need a mathematics instructor. Having a strong background in mathematics and a minor in that field, she accepted the position. She began her career as a math teacher, after which she taught psychology and did counseling at SJCC. Later, after having her children, she was appointed as a part-time instructor in psychology and a part-time counselor at DeAnza College. When it became clear that a full-time position would not be available, she decided to use her background in math and computer science to apply for positions as a technical writer for computer companies. She worked in that field for more than 20 years.

Jean’s commitment to service, which started with her involvement in the church, led to a lifelong dedication to the advancement of education for women and girls. She was a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) for more than 50 years. She worked with that group in many different capacities, including publishing monthly newsletters for the groups she belonged to. Her community service included serving as a docent at the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum, teaching people at the Sunnyvale Library how to use the then newly developed computer so that they could use it to apply for jobs, and eventually representing the Sunnyvale Library on a State of California Library Board headed by Kevin Starr, the state librarian.

Throughout her life, Jean made and kept friends easily, and one of her friendships lasted 83 years. She was always on the go, meeting friends and arranging games and outings, including book club, stitchery, quilting, knitting, and the culinary arts. She was an enthusiastic player of bridge and hand-and-foot and was teaching her new friends how to play hand-and-foot on the day she was struck ill. A skilled seamstress, she created beautiful clothing and quilts throughout her life, including making her own wedding dress and the dresses of all her bridesmaids, children’s clothes, and many, many quilts for her friends and family to enjoy.

Jean was devoted to her family all her life, raising her three children, managing the household, and caring for her mother. Jean was also the matriarch of the academic family Bill developed at Stanford, serving as a gracious hostess in their home for many academic family reunions over the years.

Jean was an avid traveler, starting with camping trips with her husband and family in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by trips across the US in later years, and, beginning in 1973, international travel that included visiting 80 countries on six different continents, the last being a trip to the Amazon River in 2024.

Jean was a beautiful woman, both inside and out. She was positive all her life, volunteering to help whenever possible. It was these traits that led her to have hundreds of friends all across the world. In addition to providing emotional support to her friends, she served as a technical advisor to all who had not kept up with the rapidly evolving computer and software technology. She was bright and decisive, often making decisions and judgments quickly.

Jean is survived by her husband, William Nix of San Jose (who loved her for 75 years); her children: Cynthia Nix (Todd Brooks) of Folsom, CA, Jeffrey Nix (Kathryn Nix) of Burlingame, CA, and Rebecca Richard (Mark Richard) of Granite Bay, CA; her sister, Janet Telford (Craig Mineweaser) of Soulsbyville, CA, and her seven grandchildren: Darien, McKenzie, Courtney, Spencer, Oliver, Abigail, and Morgan.

Jean’s family is planning to celebrate her life in the Spring. For those wishing to make a donation in Jean's memory, the family suggests contributions to AAUW or other organizations that support education for women and girls.