Jean Ganey Castleberry's Obituary
JEAN GANEY CASTLEBERRY July 17, 1927 – November 20, 2016 Age 89Jean was born in Ft Myers, Florida to Lois and Walter Jackson Ganey in the family home that was built the year before on Barcelona Avenue in what was then known as Valencia Terrace. Many wonderful years were spent in the home with grandchildren playing in the house and expansive yard; a home that gave Jean and her sister Phyllis a foundation of love, appreciation and a special childhood. Her summers were spent with her sister and mother in Highlands, NC where they had the freedom to play and explore the outdoors in the beautiful mountainside. Her daddy would always join them on the last leg of the summer. Lois was a doting mother that would take the girls to Atlanta to buy their school clothes and any special occasion dresses; she wanted them to have the best. Back in those days there were many formal activities that gave the girls an appreciation of cultural and social awareness. Jean’s mother was a lovely woman who instilled grace, kindness and strength; she was also a wonderful cook and hostess, having many parties and luncheons where great southern formality and elegance would take place.Jean’s father, Walter, was one of the first dentists in Ft Myers, he was a direct descendant of Andrew Jackson, our 7th President of the United States. He settled into his dental practice on Bay Street in downtown Ft Myers. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford had their winter homes in Ft Myers along the Caloosahatchee River and as a young man, Walter was Thomas Edison’s dentist and Lois shared a love of gardening with Mr. Edison’s wife, Mina. Jean remembered meeting Mr. Edison a few times in her younger years.Mother shared a love of hunting, fishing and the vast outdoors with her father, often going to what is now Ft Myers Country Club to train her daddy’s bird dogs in the grassy palmettos. These times were very special and ingrained fond memories. His hunting camp was deep in the Everglades and she and her father taught her girls the love of hunting and fishing at a very young age.Mother spent her lifetime in Ft Myers, attending Edison Park Elementary school and graduating from Ft Myers High School in 1945. Both her daughters would attend the same schools. Football was a sport that would become a major love for Jean. The family would go and watch Ft Myers High play on the weekends and Jean would often go with her father to watch the team practice. This would pave the way for her future love of the University of Alabama. She attended college at Florida State University which at that time was an all-girls school. She missed the college football experience so she transferred to the University of Alabama. On one occasion she flew with the football team to an away game, a BIG highlight! It was there she met her future husband, Dwight J. Castleberry. They were married in 1950 and their first daughter, Jennifer, was born 4 years later when Dwight was in dental school in Birmingham. The family moved to Homestead, Florida where Dwight set up his private dental practice; he was one of the first young dentists there. Janet was born shortly thereafter in Coral Gables. The weekends were sometimes spent in the Keys on their boat lobstering, fishing, swimming and developing a love for the water. The marriage did not survive but their respect and concern for each other did as did the priority of Jennifer and Janet.Jean and the girls returned to Ft Myers in 1963 where she began her teaching career at Edison Park Elementary. She began as a first-grade teacher in the same classroom she was in as a first grader. She was very loved and respected and taught many of her daughter’s friends as well as their siblings. Their home in Ft. Myers was filled with love and happy times with the girls growing up listening to the likes of Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Nat King Cole, Barbara Streisand and others.As her daughters grew, she was able to spend time with her dearest friend and older sister, Phyllis. She and Phyllis shared a mutual love for travelling and together they ventured to Switzerland, Vienna, Salzburg, Corfu, Amalfi Coast, Italy and Spain to name a few.Jean retired from the Lee County School System in 1993 and stayed in Ft. Myers until she moved to Houston, Texas in 2014 to be closer to family.There was not a more tender, kind-hearted, selfless person in this world. Her daughters always came first in every decision she made and she was a source of inspiration to her children and grand-children. In her final days, she proved to many how incredibly strong she was. Her love for family and pride in her grand-children was immeasurable. We will fondly remember her love and die-hard loyalty to football and especially The Crimson Tide.Jean was pre-deceased by parents Lois Treadwell Ganey and Walter Jackson Ganey, sister, Phyllis Ganey Gassen Freeland and nephew, Tod Gassen. She is survived by daughters, Jennifer Castleberry Burnham of Lehigh Acres, Janet Castleberry James; son-in-law, Brad James of Houston, Texas; grandchildren Turner James, Caroline James of Houston and Alexis Eason of Summerville, New Jersey; great-grandchildren Yovanni and Ava; niece, Pam Gassen Alonso and husband Jorge of Tallahassee, FL and their children Mallory and Allyson.Memorial services will be conducted at 2:00 PM Saturday, April 15, 2017 in the chapel of Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33907, 239-936-0555. Friends will be received from 1:00 PM until the time of the service. Online condolences may be offered at: www.fortmyersmemorial.com.
What’s your fondest memory of Jean?
What’s a lesson you learned from Jean?
Share a story where Jean's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Jean you’ll never forget.
How did Jean make you smile?