Jean K. Parmelee, 86; Longtime Palisadian

Jean Parmelee, a 55-year resident of Pacific Palisades, died of a heart attack at Santa Monica/UCLA Hospital on December 24 at age 86. She was a very loving and caring mother and wife. Jean Kern Rheinfrank was born on July 5, 1917, Oak Park. a town on the west side of Chicago. She attended the Oak Park public schools and obtained a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1939. She and Arthur Parmelee met in their sophomore year of high school. They were married on November 11, 1939, shortly after he started his medical training at the University of Chicago Medical School. While he served in the Navy, she lived with their two children, Arthur and Ann, in Oak Park. Their third child, Timothy, was born in New Haven, Connecticut, where Arthur received training in pediatrics. The family moved to Pacific Palisades in 1948, where Arthur had a pediatric practice for three years. He joined the UCLA Medical School Department of Pediatrics when the first medical school class entered. Their fourth child, Ruth Ellen, was born at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica. Despite devoting a great deal of time caring for her four children, Jean was very active in local civic activities, especially the League of Women Voters. She helped form the Palisades League unit and served for a number of years on the board of directors of the Los Angeles League. Later she edited the League’s monthly newsletter. A good athlete, Jean was on the women’s tennis and swimming teams in high school and college. In the Palisades, she played tennis and was a member of a group of Palisades women who played weekly at the Westchester Golf Course. She was a member of the Palisades Presbyterian Church for some time and participated regularly in church programs. In addition to her husband of 64 years, she is survived by her four children, who loved her very much and miss her greatly: Arthur of Boulder, Colorado; Ann of Garberville, California; Timothy of Malibu, and Ruth Ellen of Pacific Palisades. She is also survived by her five grandchildren. Contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice.