Jeanine Larson Dobbins

LAKE ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Jeanine Larson Dobbins, 68, of Lake St. Louis passed away peacefully Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Evelyn's House hospice home in St. Louis.

She was an Episcopalian and former Eucharistic lay minister with a devout faith in God. After several years of suffering from Lewy body dementia, her loving family is at peace knowing the Lord has taken away her pain and suffering, making her whole once again in heaven.

She was born April 22, 1950, in Akron, Ohio, to Ralph Harold and Regina Lee Johnson Larson. After meeting each other at the University of Akron, Jeanine and Ken Dobbins were married Aug. 7, 1971, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Akron. After college, she and Ken lived in North Carolina, the Philippines and Virginia during Ken's 10 years in the Air Force before returning home to Northeast Ohio (Kent) for 10 years. In 1991, she and her family moved to Cape Girardeau, where they lived for 24 years.

Jeanine believed in the overall goodness of people and always saw the best each person had to offer. A caring and compassionate soul, she was always eager to lend a listening ear and helping hand, constantly paying close attention to every detail of every conversation with every single person she interacted with. With her attentiveness and kindness, she always made those she spoke with feel like the most important person in the world.

Her marriage and bond with her soul mate, Ken, was an inspiration for all who knew them. They complemented each other perfectly. Jeanine and Ken shared a deep love of God, family, friends, education, stimulating conversation, travel and philanthropy. As a loving couple, they gave generously of their time, talent and treasure throughout their lives together. Being a mother to Paul and Nana to Lincoln and Brady, her grandsons, were two of her greatest joys. All her boys were blessed to have such a strong, loving and nurturing mother and Nana.

Jeanine was a lifelong learner and teacher, dedicating her educational and professional life to children and literacy. After graduating from Revere High School in Akron, she attended the University of Akron, where she served as the first undergraduate student trustee and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in elementary education. She began her career as an elementary teacher in Fayetteville, North Carolina. While overseas, she was an instructor at the Department of Defense adult education center at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. Upon moving stateside, she continued her education at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, working as a graduate assistant and earning her master's degree in reading. She then became a reading consultant in Newport News, Virginia, and Kent, Ohio. She served as an adjunct faculty member at The Ohio State University after learning to become a Reading Recovery teacher leader.

Upon moving to Missouri, Jeanine supervised student teachers and became a teacher leader trainer for Reading Recovery at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. She also founded and served as director for the Missouri Statewide Early Literacy Intervention Program. In that role, Jeanine worked tirelessly to ensure Missouri children received a firm foundation in reading. She conducted and presented research to the administration of four Missouri governors and the corresponding General Assemblies, resulting in state grants in excess of $5.7 million. Under her leadership, more than 700 teachers were educated, and more than 300,000 Missouri elementary students with reading difficulties were assisted.

Jeanine's contributions to education were recognized with several awards and honors in her career. Among them, she was awarded the prestigious Teacher Leader Award from the Reading Recovery Council of North America, Zonta's Woman of Achievement Award, and was named Friend of the University by the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.

The oldest of two children, Jeanine is survived by her adoring and devoted husband of 46 years, Kenneth Wayne Dobbins; brother, Mark Gordon Larson of Castle Rock, Colorado; son, Paul Larson (Stacey) Dobbins of St. Augustine, Florida; and two grandchildren, Lincoln Kenneth Dobbins and Brady Larson Dobbins.

A private graveside service will be held in Akron and, at Jeanine's request, a celebration of life will be held at 4 p.m. Aug. 3 in the Shuck Music Recital Hall at the River Campus at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. prior to the celebration of life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Jeanine & Ken Dobbins Family Fund to support Dr. Albert "Gus" Davis' movement disorder research in the Department of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Dr. Davis is a leading researcher in Lewy body dementia and has been a blessing to the Dobbins family during this difficult time. Memorial gifts can be made online at www.gifts.wustl.edu (please indicate "In memory of Jeanine Dobbins") or send to Washington University, Attn: Zach Silvers, CB 1247, 7425 Forsyth Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105 (checks payable to Washington University; memo line: "In memory of Jeanine Dobbins").