Jean Albamonte died on July 1, 2024 from various health conditions. There will be no services.

Those who knew and loved Jeanne knew her as a spirited and dramatic woman. Some might have—definitely--called her stubborn. She came from a long line of spunky, take-charge women. Jean always had a flare for the dramatic, even before she chose her career as a performer at a young age.

Her parents named her Aletha after her aunt, but they always called her by her middle name, Jean. Born Oct. 30, 1941, in Chicago to Lucille and Bob White (Bessie Lucille Wright White and Robert Edward White, both deceased), Jean and her older sister Carol Dee (deceased) inherited their parents' love of animals. The sisters fought a lot, like any siblings do, but loved each other fiercely. They spent their childhood summers in Missouri on their Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Dunk's farm. The sisters used to dress up the farm animals. Numerous cats and dogs filled their home.

With a penchant for performance, she became a summer stock entertainer at state fairs as a teenager. Her stage name was Jeanne White, spelled like the French name, but pronounced like Jeanie. As a "triple threat" (singer-dancer-actress) she continued touring. She sang and danced her way across the US and Canada, in variety shows, in a group called The Smart Set, and in musicals. Entertaining is how she met her first husband, Ron Del Boccio. They performed closer to home after birthing  their only daughter, Ronda Jean Del Boccio in 1965.  Over her many years as an entertainer, Jean performed in numerous musicals, including My Fair Lady, Cabaret, and a musical version of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Always wanting a backup career with a more dependable income, Jean became a beautician (as it was called then) early on. She worked in the shop Carol and brother-in-law Mike Lacy owned while still performing. Jean and Ron divorced in 1975. Jean took on a couple of hairy side hustles. She styled hair at nursing homes  and at several funeral homes.

One of her and Ronda's favorite memories was having an adventure in London with a brief side-trip to Paris where they dined on a dinner boat. Another of their favorite memories together was when they performed the iconic "Who's on First" sketch made famous by Abbott and Costello to a standing ovation audience. They performed together numerous times.

Jean and Ronda also developed a love of taking pictures. They enjoyed seeing the unusual within the ordinary. Jean learned darkroom developing and soon started teaching adult enrichment photography classes at a local college. She won numerous awards for both black-and-white and color photos.

Jean met her second husband, Bruce P Albamonte, while taking Ronda to a teen club event. They married in 1982. Ronda even sang at their wedding. The new couple cherished memories of their honeymoon in Greece. The three took a whirlwind twelve-day road trip across the country to briefly see noteworthy landmarks, including the Grand Canyon, Arches National Park, Mount Rushmore, and Petrified Forest. Through all the adventures and misadventures of the road, they said, "and we did it together."

Jean and Bruce bought a house and land in Lampe, Missouri, and eventually moved there. Here in the Ozarks, Jean worked as a concierge at the Raddison Hotel until her retirement. She won an outstanding employee award, which earned her a trip for two to the company's international convention in Paris.

Jean passed along to her daughter the three most important things she learned from her mother and grandmother:

·         Tell people you love them while you're both still alive

·         A gift is better from a warm hand than a cold one. Plus, you get to see them enjoy it.

·         Live life with no regrets.

If she had a theme song, her daughter said it would be "Make Your Own Kind of Music" by Cass Elliot (aka Mama Cass). "Mom definitely lived life on her terms," Ronda said, "and she raised me to be just like her."

Jean is survived by her daughter Ronda, first husband Ron Del Boccio, and second husband Bruce Albamonte.

There will be a brief prayer on Friday, August 2 at 11 AM at the mausoleum of Mount Olive Cemetery 3800 Narraganset Ave in Chicago, Illinois, followed by a lunch at the Jolly Club 6501 W. Irving Park Road. If you know the family and wish to attend, please contact her husband.