Jeanmarie Skahan

Jeanmarie Skahan

Feb 23, 1967 – September 30, 2022

Skahan, Jeanmarie of Belmont, devoted and loving daughter of the late Paul Skahan and Marilou (Gleason) Skahan, passed away on September 30, 2022. She is survived by her loyal and dedicated cousin Joyce (Gleason) Bedard, Joyce’s husband Billy Bedard, and their daughters Gabi and Kathryn. Her loving and supportive aunt and uncle Phyllis and Mark Gleason.  In addition, Jeanmarie had numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Throughout her life she was surrounded by people who loved her, including her dear friend of over two decades, Carolyn Sullivan; her devoted co-teachers and close friends, Nicole Lamoureaux and Jenny White; and her “Haynes Family" from Josiah Haynes Elementary School in Sudbury, MA, where she had taught fourth grade since 1998. 

Jeanmarie’s greatest passion was teaching. She inspired and motivated hundreds of students, and was an exceptional educator who went above and beyond to meet each child's needs. Her motto was: “I will not lower the bar; I will raise up your child to meet (or exceed) the bar.” The art of teaching came naturally to her, and she was a school leader and mentor to countless other teachers and coworkers who admired her talent and skill.

Following high school, Jeanmarie attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, later transferring west and graduating from the University of Wyoming, where she made lifelong friends and discovered her love of country music. She spent much of her twenties as a flight attendant for Continental Airlines, living in Denver, CO, and gaining experiences and stories with which to entertain others for years to come. At the age of 30, she earned her Master’s in Education at Boston College. For the remainder of her life, she resided in Belmont in her beloved Gleason/Skahan family home on Prince Street. 

After Jeanmarie's initial diagnosis of triple negative metastatic breast cancer in 2021, she was lovingly supported by family members, friends and colleagues. Per her wishes and desire for privacy, she did not want any services to be held. Instead, she wanted people to remember her as the lipstick-wearing, energetic, generous and compassionate teacher and friend that she was. 

Jeanmarie requested that those who wish to express sympathy might consider making a donation  in her memory to the Wally Bell Scholarship Fund. Wally Bell, a master teacher at the Haynes School, was an early mentor who became like family to Jeanmarie. His fund provides annual scholarships for seniors at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. Each year Jeanmarie worked tirelessly to promote this fund, and she was honored to be part of it. Contributions may help her former students thrive.

Wally Bell Scholarship Fund

c/o Lincoln-Sudbury Credit Union

278 Old Sudbury Road

Sudbury, MA 01776

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