Perpetual Support for Our Mission

Jean Boehne, 1917-2017, was a longtime supporter of The High. She was a true believer in Detroit-based Jesuit education.

I am pleased to honor the memory of Jean Boehne, who passed away in June 2017—just shy of her 100th birthday. I met Jean for the first time in 2009. She was 91 and led a very active life as a volunteer at her church, St. Ignatius of Antioch, in Tarpon Springs and at the local hospital. She was a delightful woman with a great sense of humor and an independent spirit.

Jean grew up in Detroit, graduated from Southeastern High School in 1935 and worked at General Motors. She became involved with U of D Jesuit because her son, Ray '55, was a student. After moving to Florida in 1966, she stayed connected with The High as a consistent and generous supporter over many decades. In 1999, she became one of the original fully endowed sponsors of a Circle of Care Scholarship.

Even though she no longer lived in Detroit, she followed events in our city very closely. She told me that she was motivated to support our school because we chose to stay in the city. She wanted to do her part so that future generations of Cubs could receive the same quality education her son received. Jean's final donation came to us as a gift from her estate. Over the past 30 years, her gifts have been added to our endowment and will generate more than $35,000 annually to support our financial aid program. She was gratified to know that her gifts would support our students in perpetuity.

Jean never forgot where she came from. She stayed in touch over the years and was thrilled to follow the success of our school and the resurgence of Detroit.

God bless you, Jean. Thank you for your friendship and your support of our mission.

It's a great day to be a Cub!

To learn more about how you can join the ranks of generous supporters like Jean, contact Jenny Miller P'20, P'22 at 313-927-2335 or jennifer.miller@uofdjesuit.org to discuss your options.