Jean A. Foresi

Jean A. (Jolliffe) Foresi, 88, died peacefully in her sleep at the Paula J. Baber Hospice Home on March 7, 2020. A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at Corpus Christi Church. Private burial of Jean and her husband Lloyd will be at Corpus Christi Cemetery at a later date. A visitation will be one hour prior to the mass at the church. Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home is serving the family. Jean A. Jolliffe was born January 25, 1932 on the family farm south of West Bend about one mile west of McKnight Cemetery. She was the only child of Cecil McKinley Joliffe and Martha Viola (Olsen) Jollliffe. Jean grew up on the farm surrounded by aunts, uncle and cousins. Her grandfather, Thomas Jolliffe and his siblings were some of the early settlers in Northern Iowa. She attended schools in Ottosen, where her favorite teacher was Mrs. Campbell. In December 1945, Jean's freshman year, the family moved from the farm to LuVerne. She played guard for the LuVerne Lions Girls' Basketball Team under Coach Bryce Wickett. They were defeated by Jewell in overtime missing repeat trips to the state championship. Jean earned her varsity letter in both basketball and music. Immediately after graduation in 1949 she moved to Fort Dodge and found work at Brooks Laundry for about two years and then a central telephone where she stayed until her retirement in 1993. She met Lloyd Foresi, the love of her life, at the Sport Bowl in 1950. She saw him again a week later at the Laramar Ballroom. They were married in April 1952 in the Quonset hut that served as Holy Rosary Church and made their home in a house Jean designed and built by her father. They danced for 60 years until Lloyd's death in 2013. Jean believed that being baptized Catholic the day before her wedding was one of the best things that ever happened to her. The kids think it was the best thing that ever happened to Lloyd. Jean was a very accomplished gardener with hundreds of blue ribbons for both growing and arranging flowers. Roses were her favorite flower. Along with her flower and vegetable garden, Jean was not one to sit around in retirement. She worked at Eddie's Greenhouse, Catholic Charties and kept house for the priests of Holy Trinity Parish until 2017. There was nothing Jean could not grow, sew, cook, can or clean. Jean's only enemies were dirty, torn and wrinkled clothes and dust mites. Jean was member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Fort Dodge Gardeners and Catholic Daughter of America. Jean was preceded in death by her husband Lloyd A. Foresi, infant son Dennis John Foresi and her parents. She is survived by her son David J. Foresi and wife Patsy of Raleigh, NC, her daughter Dee Ann Dorrico and husband Mike of Norwalk, CT. Grandchildren, David B. Foresi and wife Stacie of Raliegh, NC, Berrin Foresi Ammons and husband Judson of Wendell, NC, Miller J. Foresi of Raleigh, NC, McKinley Dorrico of Norwalk, CT and Michael Dorrico of Norwalk, CT. Cousins, Robert J. Galask and Patti Oda of Santa Monica, CA, Dr. Rudy Galask and wife Gloria of Iowa City, IA and nephew Jon Harmon and special friend Libby and niece Janna (Harmon) Taylor and husband Rob. The family would like to thank the staff of Paula J, Baber Hospice Home. In Lieu of flowers, the family would like memorials to be left to the Paula J. Baber Hospice Home. Visitation Wed, Mar 11, 2020 at 9:30 am - 10:30 am Corpus Christi Catholic Church 402 North 8th Street Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501 Funeral Mass Wed, Mar 11, 2020 at 10:30 am Corpus Christi Catholic Church 402 North 8th Street Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501