Jean McCloy Needham, Class of 1941

Jean McCloy Needham ’41 died March 9, 2021 at the age of 101. She was born Dec. 27, 1919 to the late Ona (Milner) and James McCloy of Westerville, Ohio.

Jean graduated from Otterbein College with a bachelor degree in elementary education and was in the Theta Nu (Greenwich) sorority. She continued her education earning a master’s degree in elementary education from Wright State University, and taught preschool and first grade in Dayton.
A longtime active member of Fairview United Methodist Church, she was also involved in PEO, Otterbein Women’s Club, and a book club. Jean enjoyed golf, bridge, Wii bowling, handbells, reading, painting, and visiting with friends and family. She and husband Bob were frequent travelers and had a wonderful 3-year experience living in Spain. She made many friends throughout her life no matter where she was living and leaves a loving legacy of faith, acceptance of change, and fearless adventure to her grateful family.
Along with her parents she was also preceded in death by her husband Robert Needham; sister and brother-in-law Alice ’38 and John ’37 Shumaker.
Survivors include her two daughters Kay ’69 (Denny ’68) Hedges and Pam (Wayne) Hounshell , her grandchildren Amanda (Michael) Kunstmann, Tim (Marisa) Hedges, Jeremy (Kathy) Hounshell, and Kim (Nathan) Messer, and great-grandchildren Alyssa, Owen, Evelyn, Beckham, Booker, Milo, Noelle, Kayla, Marie, and Lydia. Also surviving is nephew James Shumaker ’66.