Martha Jean Marcotte

Martha Jean (May) Marcotte was born in a small farm town in Kansas in 1939 where she spent most of her childhood. For her senior year, she lived in Los Angeles and attended high school while being a nanny for her cousin’s children. After graduation, she returned to Kansas to attend nursing school (when she first met Hank Marcotte) and enjoyed working in San Francisco and New York City before marrying Hank, a young Air Force officer in 1966.

Hank and Jean were married for over 50 years and had a loving family: Andrea and husband Johnny Crankshaw; Brenda and husband Jason Contreras, grandson Jeffrey, his wife Gaby & baby Stone, and granddaughter Julia; David Marcotte; Sarah and her husband John Newlon, grandson Evan and granddaughter Paige. They lived all over the country during Hank’s career in the Air Force, making regular summer trips to visit family in Kansas and retiring in San Diego in the 1980s. At every duty assignment, Jean was true to her small town upbringing, making sure to welcome incoming families to the neighborhood and being a friendly face on base. She also made sure to volunteer her time at the kids' schools and various other service organizations. After retirement, Hank and Jean enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren, going on cruises and traveling to Hawaii, Mexico and across the country to visit friends and family.

Jean was spiritual, soft-spoken, kind, and always willing to lend a hand. She was actively involved in numerous church organizations and Bible studies. She gave of her time, talents, and heart while serving different ministries, volunteering in many community activities, visiting and sharing the gospel with inmates, and taking communion and delivering meals to homebound people.

Those who knew Jean will fondly remember her strong Catholic faith, her kindness, loyalty, thoughtfulness, compassion, an ever-present support to those in need of a friend, both friends and strangers alike. Those who knew her well knew where she hid the cookies and chocolate, and that even if she noticed some missing would never let on. She was well known to always be a lady, and her day would not officially begin until her hair was done and her lipstick was neatly applied (even Christmas morning, which was torture for her children).

Jean was preceded in death by her loving husband Hank, brothers Walt and Fred, and sister Caroline. She is survived by her children, grandchildren, great-grandson, brother Robert (Sharon), sister-in-law Margie May, a large extended family of cousins, nieces and nephews and countless friends who will miss her dearly until united again in heaven.

A rosary (10:30) and funeral mass (11:00) will be held on Monday, August 11th at Our Lady of Grace Church in El Cajon. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation to Tunnel to Towers Foundation (to help Gold Start families and Fallen First Responders) at https://t2t.org/ or You Did it For Me (to help people emerge from homelessness in East County San Diego) at https://youdidit4me.org/ .