Jean Davlin was born November 26, 1942 and passed away with her family by her side the evening of January 6, 2023.

Jean was born in San Diego, California to Kenneth and Helen McGregor. Her father’s construction career let her grow up all over the state, including Fort Bragg, Merced and Napa. Her best friends were many including her older sisters, Donna Wise and Virginia Salley, cousins Louise and Paul and others. After graduating from Napa High School and Pasadena College, she began working as an assistant in several engineering firms. It was there she met the love of her life, Ken Davlin. Ken swept her off her feet and brought her home to Eureka when they were married in 1976. Within a few years, they had two daughters, Jennifer (Eric) Frahm and Christina Davlin.

Throughout her life, Jean’s energy was always directed first toward her friends and family. Her passion was children – first “her girls;” soon joined by their friends; then through her service within the Eureka Public School system; and ultimately for her grandchildren, Nicole and Nathan Frahm.

Jean worked as a staff member at Winship Middle School for many years. There, she could always be relied upon to have lunch money for the forgetful and less fortunate. She also helped begin a backpack donation program before they became common.

Jean worked hard to create a kind, loving home for all who entered and prided herself in supporting her husband as he created a burgeoning civil engineering business. Her table often became a mini–United Nations here in Humboldt County, hosting visiting dignitaries from Mongolia, Russia, Japan, Samoa, England and elsewhere. She was comfortable with the international flavor of guests because of her trips with Louise to Europe and having taken the Orient Express to Turkey to visit her sister Donna. And typically, she’d happily host a bevy of neighborhood children who were as cherished as her own. She enjoyed her trips to Hawaii, the Bahamas and the trips to see family and grandchildren in various locations in the US.

Creatively, Jean was a talented seamstress and an avid reader. Many in the neighborhood still recall fond memories of their kids wearing matching outfits crafted by her. Along with her friend Bonnie Julien and assisted by Yvonne Cooney, she for a time created and sold her own line of dolls and doll clothes, selling them throughout the area. As children grew and began having children of their own, she would create beautiful baby quilts cherished by many as family heirlooms. Likewise, she made large quilts for co-workers to honor their retirements.

Her love of friends, grandchildren and her daughters brought joy to her soul throughout her life. Even when illness robbed her of nearly all else, she would still somehow find a way to show you she cared and was delighted to be with you.

Thank you to Dr. DeMay of UCSF and the Hospice personnel along with Antionette Skiles who provided guidance and comfort during her last months.

She was preceded by her father Ken McGregor, her mother Helen McGregor, her sister Donna and her husband John Wise.

She is survived by husband Kenneth Davlin, daughters Christina Davlin and Jennifer (Eric) Frahm, sister Virginia (Robert) Salley, numerous nieces and nephews, numerous cousins and her numerous friends.

Please join Jean’s family on Saturday, January 14 at Old Growth Cellars (Eureka) from 1 to 3 p.m. to share a glass of wine and your favorite memory of Jean. A celebration of life will be held in the spring of 2023 in the Sacramento area. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Humboldt (www.hospiceofhumboldt.org) or the UCSF Memory and Aging Center (www.makeagift.ucsf.edu).

###

The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Jean Davlin’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.