Leona "Jean" Webb Beatty, of Hingham, died peacefully in her sleep, six days before her 88th birthday.

Jean was the youngest of six children of Cyrus and Stella (Dollins) Webb, in Ewing, Illinois. She grew up

on the legacy family farm in an area called Webb's Prairie, which was established in 1812 by Jean's ancestors at the Eastern edge of the vast tallgrass prairie, at a time when the virgin grasses still stood up to 10 feet tall.

As a girl, Jean attended a nearby one-room schoolhouse. She graduated from high school a year early, then attended the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, where she met and married Clarence "Bud" Beatty. Jean obtained her B.S. in Home Economics Education in 1956 and bore their first child, David, a few months after graduation. The couple quickly welcomed three more children, Kathy, Annette and Kirk. Jean somehow managed the young household, including making many of the girl's dresses, while supporting Bud who was working full time and building a new house by himself. In 1967 Bud took a job in Boston and they moved the family to Hingham, Massachusetts, where they happily resided for the next 50+ years.

Jean worked at the Hingham Public Library from 1970-2004, where she became Head of Circulation and Union President.  At the age of 57, Jean went back to school, earning her Master's in Library Science at Simmons College in Boston.  Jean had a profound love of literature and was an avid reader through her very last days.

Jean adored her community of family and friends. In the words of one of these friends, "Jean understood the essence of each individual person." Countless hobbies, friendships, careers and life decisions were lovingly fostered by Jean. Whether it was recommending an unexpected college choice or enrolling her child in music lessons, it was uncanny how often Jean's suggestion was somehow a perfect fit.

Jean's beautiful marriage to Bud was a central thread for 64 years of her life, including nearly 20 years through Bud's battle with Parkinson's Disease.

Jean was preceded in death by Bud, and is survived by her four children, David Beatty and wife Ellie, Kathy Scanlon and husband Rick, Annette Kerner and partner Anthony Meleo, Kirk Beatty and wife Alma; five grandchildren, Joel and Ian Beatty, Casey Kerner, Sandra Scanlon Thompson and husband Austin, and Cait Scanlon Coombs and husband George; and a great grandson, R.J. Coombs.

A service of remembrance will be held at 11:00 a.m. Aug. 5, 2023 at UCC Norwell, 460 Main St., Norwell, MA. In lieu of flowers, a donation in her memory may be made to UCC Norwell. (https://www.uccnorwell.org/give).