Jean Elizabeth Nye, 95
Jean Elizabeth Nye, 95, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of Sept. 11, 2022, at Tranquil Gardens Adult Family Home in Bellevue, Washington.
Jean (aka “Grandma Jesus”) was born Christmas Eve, 1926, in Hopkins, Minnesota to John and Helga Lovberg. The family moved to Montana when Jean was a young girl, finally settling in Missoula, where she graduated from high school and attended university.
In 1946 she married Howard Nye of Dixon, Montana. The couple had two children, Linda Nye of Seattle, and Paul Nye (Tammy Nye) of Redmond, Washington. They moved to Kalispell in 1952 where they ran Nye Hardware and later the Marshall Wells Store with their friends Bayliss and Rausie Cummings. The years in Kalispell were rich, surrounded by an extended “family” of 40 or so of dear and like-spirited friends, water skiing, camping, sharing holidays. It was a remarkable time. Jean was active in Bethlehem Lutheran Church, serving various leadership roles over the years. She was (and continued to be) fascinated with politics and the just use of political power, serving on the Flathead County Republican Central Committee and organizing several Flathead county campaigns.
The couple moved to Bozeman in 1964 and Jean graduated from Montana State University in 1974 with a degree in accounting. She received her CPA that same year and moved to Seattle where she was the controller and financial officer for insurance brokerage firms.
After retiring, she moved for a year to the Washington coast (Nahcotta) and then returned to Kalispell for several years, renewing old friendships and her ties to Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Jean met Jim Mebust during those last years in Kalispell. In 2001 she moved back to Seattle, drawn by the pull of family, and accompanied by Jim who remained her friend and partner for nearly 20 years. Jean loved literature and for many years enjoyed the literary camaraderie of her beloved book club.
In 2017 she and Jim moved to Merrill Gardens in Auburn, Washington, and in 2019 she moved to Merrill Gardens in Burien, Washington. Tranquil Gardens Adult Family Home took loving care of Jean for the last year of her life.
Jean is survived by her son Paul Nye and daughter Linda Nye, grandchildren Michael Sabol, Cindy Sabol, Christine Nye, great-grandchildren Sam Sabol and Sebastian Sabol, as well as her beloved nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her former husband, Howard Nye; her partner, Jim Mebust; her granddaughter, Suzan Jean Sabol; her brother, Ralph Lovberg; sister, Marjorie (Bibben) Lovberg Carroll; and nephew, John Lovberg.
Services will be held at 1 p.m. Oct. 22 at Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church in Seattle (Ballard-2400 NW 85th Street, Seattle, WA). The service will also be streamed via Zoom and Facebook Live. (ourredeemers.net for the links).