Jean Shortt

Jean Shortt, 82, of Thousand Island Park, passed away early Sunday morning, March 30th, after a mercifully short battle with lung cancer complicated by a long battle with immune complications. She died at home surrounded by her family. Besides her husband, Frank, she is survived by two daughters, Laurie (David) Kutina, West Falls, NY and Julie (Charles) Howard, Port St. Lucie, FL, two grandchildren Benjamin and Theodore Kutina, and her sister, Patricia Tuchrello, as well as many brothers and sisters in law, nieces, nephews, and dear friends. She was predeceased by her brother, Robert Clark.

Born August 26, 1942, in Syracuse, NY, she was adopted by Rev. Harold and Isabelle Steele Clark and grew up in Rochester NY. She graduated from Irondequoit High School, Brockport State with BA in Physical Education, attended University of Buffalo and completed a Master of Education from Buffalo State.

Jean started teaching health and physical education at Henniger High School in Syracuse NY, where she met Francis Shortt. They were married on December 18, 1965, in Rochester, NY.

Frank and Jean moved to Western New York, where she taught physical education at various schools in the Frontier Central School District for 28 years, retiring in 1998. While she always referred to herself as a “Gym teacher,” she knew her job was just as important as academics, if not more so. She taught coordination, teamwork, and perseverance, as well as instilled the love and appreciation of games, sport, and physical movement, achievement and talent in all her students, coworkers, or anyone else ready to play.

In 1977, Frank and Jean were founding members of “the Green Camp” in Thousand Island Park, and from then forward she spent all summers in TI Park. The loss of “Grandma Jean,” and Kathy “CooCoo” D’Agata this winter, 2 of our beloved matriarchs, will be noticeable and heartbreaking on Outlook Ave this summer.

Summers off and retirement did not slow Jean down. In addition to watching her grandsons before they were school age, she was always involved in many organizations, particularly in Thousand Island Park. She was an EMT and member of the Wellesley Island Fire Department and Cochair-person of the Tabernacle Committee for decades, riding with the other firemen to fires and accidents, helping with the children’s recreation program, hamburger roasts, rummage sales, and other events. An avid gardener, she built not only her own garden, but helped coordinate and care for many gardens in TI Park for many years. Contracting breast cancer herself and watching her dear friend Debbie Oliver battle cancer, she participated in Relay for Life for 18 years. After becoming an early member of River Yoga and discovering the benefits of yoga in her in 50s, she taught classes in gentle and chair yoga for seniors. She was always up for a breakfast at Nut’ N Fancy or a game of Hand and Foot cards with dear friends.

She was a member of the Reformed Church of the Thousand Isles, where she had many dear and devoted friends and participated in service as well as spaghetti dinners, prayer and bible study meetings. She worked at the Alexandria Community Thrift store, where she was known to markup valuable items so they were still a great bargain for those who could afford it, and finding important items to give to those who could not.

In 2007, Frank and Jean sold their winter home in Buffalo NY and bought a home in San Luis, Soy at Lan in Jalisco, Mexico near Guadalajara. After a visit there to Jean’s brother Bob Clark, they fell in love with the climate and people of Mexico, spending winters there surrounded by gardens, the mountains, Lake Chapala, as well as dear friends and her “Mexican Family”—most notably her caretaker Erika Fabiola Meza Medina and her family. Never content to just sit and relax, she also continued her volunteer work in Mexico, working at nursing homes and with Spayed and Neutered cats and dogs organizations.

One of the greatest joys of her life was the discovery of her biological mother and father in 2019 and the relationship she was able to build with her half-sister, Patti Tuchrello and her daughters and grandchildren.

She touched so many lives, with her kind actions, bright smile, and fierce faith and optimism. She will be buried at the Riverside Cemetery on Wellesley Island, near dear friends and the River she loved so much, under the “Shortt Family” Bench she hopes you all will stop and enjoy some day. We will all miss her terribly.

A memorial service will be held in the spring, at a time to announced.

Memorial donations may be made in Jean’s name to the Reformed Church of the Thousand Isles, 54 Church Street, Alexandria Bay, NY 13607.