Jean Navarre, the only child of Harold Wiley and Mary Moore of Cincinnati, long time resident of Ann Arbor, MI and Vashon Island, WA, beloved mother, grandmother and friend, left this world on October 14, 2021, at age 80. She is survived by her only child, William (Lara), and her two grandchildren, Kira and Landon.

Jean was the founder and director of Emerson School in Ann Arbor, a private K-8 school for gifted and academically-talented students. She started the school in 1973 in Plymouth, Michigan, with 11 students. Emerson, named in honor of her father Harold’s love of the poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, flourishes today, educating more than 300 students each year in a state-of-the-art facility on a 20-acre campus.

Jean earned her degrees from Denison University and the University of Michigan. She traveled to China, the Caribbean and all over the US. She moved to Vashon in 2002 and took great joy in working with Vashon teenagers, in her family, in collecting beautiful art, in exploring the music and art of her beloved Vashon Island, and in listening to Elvis. She was visible around Vashon in her creativelypainted minivan. She will be deeply missed. In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions can be made in her name to Vashon Center for the Arts.