Helen Jean Winchester, 92, a lifelong resident of Lexington, Massachusetts, died peacefully at home on June 24, 2022. She is survived by her daughters Carol Winchester Cherrington, Maryann Winchester Trono, Suzanne Winchester Miller, Joanne Winchester Brine, and Dianne Winchester; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, Charles A. Winchester twenty-six days earlier, just after their 70 ^th wedding anniversary. She was the first child of Helen Theresa (George)and John Joseph Sullivan and was a loving sister to Lois Marie McWalter.

Jean could have been a conservative, demure woman, since she grew up in the 30s and 40s. And indeed, she was a devout Catholic with a strong natural faith and moral to the core. She designed and made dresses for herself and her young daughters, and was known to wear pants on only two occasions in her life. As for being demure, that wasn't Jean. She was a force of nature, an unstoppable whirlwind. Her most commonly heard phrase was, "Hands on the wheel, foot on the gas, and never look in the rearview mirror!" And that she did, throughout her life.

Jean graduated from Lexington High School in 1947 and in 1951 was awarded a B.A. in Home Economics and Nutrition from Regis College. She never lost touch with her close friends, and attended reunions in recent years. When she and Charles were married in 1952, Jean was working at the Boston Gas Company as a lecturer, consultant, and doing food demonstrations. She always demonstrated the newest technology. In 1953, Jean starred in her thrice weekly cooking program, Menu Magic , which aired on WBZ-TV. In 1963, she was named Mrs. Massachusetts, a homemakers' competition. As her daughters got older and college expenses became a concern, Jean went to work outside of home. She raised and sold pedigree poodles, worked for an appliance company, demonstrating dishwashers and the first microwave oven for consumers—the Amana Radar Range. In 1967, she got an insurance broker's license and took over for her husband, who had started an independent insurance agency in 1956.  She ran that insurance business for 30 years. In 1978, Jean earned a full real estate broker license and thus discovered her true calling in life.  She was a real estate "top producer," earning number-one status in all categories in the Lexington office and parent companies over the years.

Jean knew everyone in town and the surrounding area, not just as clients but as people. That was the key to her success: she really got to know sellers and buyers—their families, their stories, their backgrounds. Sellers would recommend her to others, and when buyers later became sellers, they returned to Jean. She knew every trick in banking, finance, and law. She knew all the best contractors, lawn companies, movers, and other businesses that sellers and buyers might need. And she never stopped, closing her final listing in the weeks before her death, with the help of her daughters Suzie and Jodi, who followed her into the real estate trade.

Her own home, originally a modest post-war ranch, was a showpiece, undergoing near-constant upgrades and renovations, and the landscaping was show-worthy. In Jean's yard, every blade of grass had to ask permission to grow. That's also how most people felt around her. Although she was small in stature, she was forceful, with very particular ideas about how things should be done. The construction workers carrying out her frequent renovations may not have actually saluted her, but you could see them thinking about it. A woman in constant motion and dozens of projects, she never sat still for long, except at the beach on Marco Island, Florida, where they had a shorefront condo. Sitting on the beach with the water lapping her feet was Jean's idea of heaven, and we're pretty sure that's where she is now, with Charlie by her side, fishing.

Gifts in memory of her beautiful life may be made to The Children's Room, 1210 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476 or online at https://childrensroom.org/donate/tribute-memorial-gifts/ .

All are welcome to attend the Funeral Mass at 11am on Thursday, June 30, at Saint Brigid's Church, 1981 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA.

For friends unable to attend there will be a livestream they may join by connecting to the following link:

https://www.lexingtoncatholic.org/eucharist-and-livestream

and click on the Livestream picture.