Individual Details

Mary Jean Calvert, long time resident of McAllen, Texas, passed away at home on October 14, 2009, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.
Jean was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico, where she spent much of her childhood. Her family later moved to El Paso, Texas, where she graduated from Isleta High School at the age of 15. She attended the College of Mines and Metallurgy (now UTEP) where she was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. She graduated in 1945 receiving her degree in History with an English minor. While in college, she married Hugh W. Calvert on October 15, 1941. Jean became one of the college's first married women with a child to graduate.
In 1973, at the age of 50, Jean returned to college to get her BS in Nursing. As an RN she worked at the McAllen, Mission, and Edinburg hospitals. The last part of her career, where she realized her true passion as a psychiatric nurse, was spent working at Charter Palms and then South Texas Behavioral Health. Last November she was honored by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with the prestigious award of "Nurse of the Year" for the South Texas Health Systems. Her nursing career was cut short in April of this year at the age of 87 when she was hospitalized due to her cancer.
Throughout her life, Jean had many hobbies and activities. She was a member of First United Methodist Church in McAllen. She joined PEO in the 1940s and was a member of McAllen's Chapter CE since 1965. An avid knitter, Jean made shawls for friends and the Prayer Shawl Ministry at her church. She loved to crochet, tat, quilt, painting, and was an excellent seamstress.
Jean is predeceased by her parents Howard Lea and Mary Lee Moore, and her son Philip Newton Calvert. She is survived by her husband of 68 years, Hugh White Calvert, of McAllen, brother Howard Lea Moore, of Lakeland, FL, son Michael (Vickie) Calvert, of El Paso, TX, daughters Deborah (Gary) Groves, and Marylee (Steve) Alaniz, both of McAllen, and daughter-in-law Carole Calvert, of Las Cruces, NM. She is also survived by six grandchildren, Kelly (Randy) Schulz, of Cheyenne, WY, Bobbie Jo (Wayne) Fossberg, of Las Cruces, NM, Christopher Calvert, of Las Cruces, NM, Josh (Stephanie) Calvert, of Long Beach, CA, and Matthew and Cameron Alaniz, of McAllen. Jean also is survived by four great-grandchildren, Sammantha and Michael Schulz and Sydnie and Mattison Fossberg. Also surviving are her nieces, Ginger (Ken) Collins, and Terry Moore, all of Atlanta, and Mary Ann Moore (Keith Sjostrom) of Des Moines, IA.
The family would like to thank Jean's caregivers, Lupita Contreras, Alondra and Mari Cruz, and Ofelia Villarreal, her loving, God-sent angels. We would also like to thank the nurses of IPH Home Health and Hospice for their wonderful care. And thank you to the all the doctors and nurses who provided care for Jean over these last months.
A memorial service will be held on Monday, October 19, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 4200 N. McColl, McAllen, Texas, under the direction of the Reverends Cathe Evins and Ken Harrison. Cremation is being handled by Kreidler Funeral Home.
Published in The Monitor from Oct. 16 to Oct. 19, 2009.

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Birth	2 Mar 1922	New Mexico
Census (family)-shared	7 Apr 1930	(Howard Lea Moore Sr. and Mary Lee Newton) Las Cruces, Doña Ana County, New Mexico
Census (family)-shared	6 May 1940	(Howard Lea Moore Sr. and Mary Lee Newton) El Paso, El Paso County, Texas
Marriage	15 Oct 1941	Hugh White Calvert
Residence	1 Apr 1993	McAllen, Hidalgo County, Texas
Residence	1 Oct 1999	McAllen, Hidalgo County, Texas
Death	14 Oct 2009	McAllen, Hidalgo County, Texas
Burial		Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery, Mission, Hidalgo County, Texas

Spouse	Hugh White Calvert (1918 - 2017)
Child	Living
Child	Phillip Newton Calvert (1946 - )
Child	Deborah J. Calvert (1953 - )
Child	Living

Father	Howard Lea Moore Sr. (1890 - 1981)
Mother	Mary Lee Newton (1901 - 1990)
Sibling	Living

Notes