Jean B. Yonan

Jean Kardalia Yonan was born on May 15, 1930 in Baghdad, Iraq to mother Sanam Putros and father Benjamin Sarmas. Her father Benjamin was an officer in the Assyrian Levies RAF (Royal Air Force). In 1933, the Iraqi government started massacring the Assyrians of Iraq. Jean's mother, Sanam, took all four of her children to Urmia to live with her brother Putros until the situation improved in Iraq. When Jean was 12 years old, her mother brought the family back to Iraq to join her husband Benjamin in Basra where he was stationed. In 1946, Jean married Youab Yonan in Baghdad, Iraq. They had four children, Mary, Ann-Margret, Edward, and William. Jean and Youab raise their family in Iraq, until they decide to move to Chicago, Illinois and join Youab's mother and sister in Morton Grove, Illinois. In 1970, Jean and Youab bought their first house in Skokie, Illinois. Jean started working at Marshal Field and Company at Old Orchard. After 7 years, she obtained a position in Quality Control at Crane Packing Company in Morton Grove. Jean worked full time and went to adult school in the evening to learn how to read and write in English. Jean and Youab lived in Illinois for 27 years. In 1993, they retired and moved to Turlock, where Jean lived for another 27 years until her death on April 8, 2020 - Crucifixion Day. Jean was an exemplary mother who devoted her entire life to her husband, her four children, 10 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. She was an exceptional cook and baker. Jean's husband, Youab Yonan, was an Assyrian Scholar, author and poet. He established the first Assyrian school at North Eastern University in Chicago, Illinois. He was very active in the community and organized and ran the first Assyrian Television and Radio program. Jean always supported her husband in whatever endeavors he was involved with. She worked hard to help him achieve his goals and dreams for his family, and his Assyrian community, both in Chicago and in Turlock. Her house was always full of Assyrians, meeting and organizing programs to keep the Assyrian dream alive in the Diaspora. Jean was a soft-spoken, gentle soul and was a loving and devoted mother to her family, and a good friend to all who knew her. She sponsored all her relatives to come to America and helped them establish themselves in the new country. Jean is survived by her four children, 10 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, 12 nieces and nephews, her sister-in-law Aglanteen Warda and her two children. At this time, private services will be held for Jean’s family.

Tributes

Jean B. Yonan

May 15, 1930 - April 8, 2020