Jean Pritchett Obituary

Jean Pritchett was born in Ganges, Michigan, in 1923 to Meta and Merrill Kingsbury. She grew up in Ohio. After graduating high school, Jean worked for the American Shipbuilding Company in Cleveland, Ohio during WWII. There she met a handsome naval officer named Gene Hallock.

Jean and Gene married in 1944. Jean spent the next 47 years moving more than 20 times with her geophysicist husband who worked for Phillips Petroleum Company. They lived in Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma, Canada, England, and Ghana. While living in England, Jean had three hobbies: duplicate bridge, buying antiques, and making brass rubbings of medieval knights and ladies of the British realm. She framed and gifted the rubbings to family and friends.

In 1980 Jean and Gene retired to Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. They met wonderful friends playing bridge at the Hot Springs Village Card Club which they were instrumental in organizing. She was a favorite of the club because of her sweet personality and shark-like tendencies when competing. The club honored Jean by naming her their Bridge Ambassador. The family enjoyed many holidays together traveling to the Bahamas, San Diego, Colorado, and Lake Tahoe. Reunions on Memorial Day weekend in Hot Springs Village were a treat for the entire family. Gene passed in 1991.

Jean married Bill Pritchett in 1993. They spent the next 19 years happily playing bridge together, and entertaining friends and family. Bill passed in 2012.

She is predeceased by her parents, her brother Mac Kingsbury, and her daughter, Linda Kells. Surviving family includes her daughter Laurie Bottenfield of Lawrence, KS, her son Cliff Hallock (wife Andrea Hallock) of Oak Hill, VA, KS; granddaughters Carie Whalen (husband Matt Whalen), Dana Bottenfield (husband Matthew Meninger), Stephanie Hallock; grandsons Bradley Taylor (wife Catherine Taylor), Michael Hallock, Tommy Hallock; great-granddaughters Lydia Whalen, Ella Whalen; great-grandsons Cayden Taylor, Soren Taylor, Lucien Taylor; daughters-in-law B.J. Pritchett and Judi Hogue.

The family would like to extend our gratitude to the staff at Pioneer Ridge in Lawrence, Kansas for the care they showed Jean these last three years. We would also like to thank Ascend Hospice of Lawrence, Kansas for their care and support in her last months.

For more information or to post a condolence go to warrenmcelwain.com.