Obituary of Jean MacFarland

Jean Gehring MacFarland, 83, of Media, Pennsylvania, went to be with the Lord on June 25, 2011. She was the daughter of the late William Henry and Marion Luce Gehring of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Born in Philadelphia, Jean grew up in Swarthmore. She graduated from Swarthmore High School, where she was active in theater, and lettered in cheerleading, field hockey and lacrosse. She went on to study psychology at Cornell University, and was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta there. While at Cornell, she met Walter Griffith MacFarland III of Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, and the two were married in 1948. Jean was a wonderful loving wife and mother of four, whose gift of laughter, love of life and bright personality blessed her family and many friends. An avid gardener, she served tirelessly for 41 years with the Providence Garden Club and received a lifetime award for service. Jean was an active member of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America (NSCDA), where she served on the board. She was also chairman of the Lineage Committee for the Colonial Dames for many years. She was a lifetime member of Swarthmore Presbyterian Church. SURVIVORS Left to cherish her memory Husband of 63 years, Walter MacFarland, III Sons, Walter, IV ( Antoinette), William, Sr. (Jenifer) and Bruce (Donna) MacFarland Daughter, Barbara MacFarland (John) Lovering Beautiful Grandchildren, Brian, Will, Kristen, Lisa, Laura, Ian, Walter and Carolyn Great-Grandchildren, Ethan and Ryan Sister Virginia Gehring (Cyrus) Ridenour To all she loved so dearly, she has left a legacy of laughter, sense of humor, and full devotion to family and friends. Contributions in lieu of flowers can be made to the Providence Garden Club, 201 Sycamore Lane, Wallingford, PA 19086; or Colonial Dames, 1630 Latimer Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.