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Obituary:Jean Doyle |
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Jean Doyle
Jean Doyle Dedicated wife and mother of four, vigorous mentor to numerous people in the non-profit and foundation worlds, and widely respected civic leader, died peacefully at home on February 15, 2009 at the age of 98. Mrs. Doyle was born in Dallas, Oregon on December 6, 1910, the daughter of Forest Products pioneer George Gerlinger and his wife, Irene Hazard Gerlinger. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley in 1932, she married Robert Carter Kirkwood, an attorney, rancher in Saratoga, state Assemblyman, Controller for the State of California from 1953 to 1958 and, finally, Manager of Public Utilities for the City and County of San Francisco. She and Mr. Kirkwood had four children, Anne, Robert, Jeanie and John. After Mr. Kirkwood's death in 1964, Jean married, in 1968, Santa Clara Valley rancher, Charles B. Kuhn, who had been Mr. Kirkwood's best man. They lived on the historic Rancho Yerba Buena until Mr. Kuhn's death in 1985. Then, in 1986, Jean married Morris Doyle, an attorney who had been a friend of Mr. Kirkwood's from college and law school. Mrs. Doyle's interest in philanthropy and helping others was nurtured during her college years when she was a volunteer at the University's YWCA. After graduation, she became active in the Junior League in San Francisco, the AAUW Well Baby Clinic and the League of Women Voters. Over the next few years, while raising her children in Saratoga and supporting her husband's political career, she expanded her interests and became involved with The Community Chest, Eastfield residential center, The American Red Cross, Montalvo Center for the Arts and the United Fund. In 1958, the Kirkwoods moved to San Francisco where Mr. Kirkwood took the position of Manager of Public Utilities and she became President of the Board of Edgewood Childrens Home. In 1968, she was asked to serve on the Distribution Committee of the San Francisco Foundation, a post she held for 10 years. During that time, she was living near San Jose and commuting frequently to San Francisco for Distribution Committee and other meetings, causing her then husband, Chuck Kuhn, to say they were renaming Highway 101 "Jean". In 1981, she launched the Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center Foundation and was instrumental in building its asset base to substantial levels. It seemed for a time that everywhere Mrs. Doyle set foot, a new Community Foundation sprang forth. First, she, along with her brother in law, William Swindells, became the driving forces behind the establishment of the Oregon Community Foundation, which serves the needs of the community where she was born and raised. Then, while once again living in Santa Clara County, she and others oversaw and raised the needed funds to re-vitalize and energize the Community Foundation of Santa Clara County, now Silicon Valley Community Foundation. With others, Mrs. Doyle promoted the idea of a true community foundation for the region. She championed the idea of philanthropic giving during one's lifetime. She outlined her vision of a community resource that would partner with those creating a new industry and new wealth in Silicon Valley to work for the benefit of the community. Mrs. Doyle served as chair of the Community Foundation Silicon Valley for eight years, from 1978 to 1986. During that time, the Foundation's asset base grew tenfold and its importance to the community increased dramatically as well. In dedicating its 1986 Annual Report to her, the board noted that she had served "as Chairman of the Board, chairman of the advisory council, chief executive officer, and donor." It was one of Mrs. Doyle's proudest achievements and she maintained an active donor-advised fund with the foundation throughout her life. Mrs. Doyle's personal generosity reached broadly throughout the community. In addition to her ongoing interest in the several community foundations that bore her imprint and The California Pacific Medical Center Foundation, she lent generous support to The University of California, endowed three academic chairs at Stanford University, supported the recent building campaign at the Academy of Sciences, gave generously to Grace Cathedral, Montalvo Center for the Arts and Filoli, and was a lifelong supporter of Edgewood Center for Children and Families. Finally, in 1999, and with her family's concurrence, she culminated a life of generosity toward others by establishing and funding the Bella Vista Foundation, which supports early childhood education and eco-system restoration. Jean Gerlinger Kirkwood Kuhn Doyle lived life to the fullest and made a lasting impression everywhere she went. She will be sorely missed by her sons, Robert Kirkwood (Edie) of Palo Alto, and John Kirkwood (Amanda) of San Francisco, and by her daughter, Jeanie Kirkwood Casey (Mike) of Nicasio. Her eldest daughter, Anne Krohn Millis, predeceased her in 1983. She is also survived by three stepdaughters and a stepson, 12 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. A service to celebrate her life will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, February 27th at St. Mary the Virgin Church at Union and Steiner streets. The family asks that donations be made in her memory to Montalvo Center for the Arts in Saratoga (P.O. Box 158, Saratoga, CA 95071-0158) or to The California Pacific Medical Center Foundation (P.O. Box 45902, San Francisco, CA 94145-0902).
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