Obituary of Jennifer Wyman-Varano

Jennifer Leslie Wyman-Varano Jennifer Wyman-Varano of Olympia lost her battle with depression on Thursday, June 2, 2011, in Olympia. She was born on November 16, 1953, in Dearborn, Michigan. Jennifer moved to San Diego when she was five and then to Orange, California, in third grade. She graduated from Villa Park High School in 1971. She received a psychology degree from Long Beach State in 1975 and teaching credentials from University of California, Irvine the next year. She began her 30-year teaching career at Lake Elsinore (California) School District in 1979 where she met and later married her husband, Glenn. She continued teaching in the North Thurston School District and retired from her career in the Olympia School District. She taught in the elementary grades, mostly kindergarten and second grade. Jennifer was an avid reader, gardener, swimmer, and hiker, loved her cats, and was quite proficient at yoga. She loved to travel and spoke fluent Spanish. She especially loved her summers and walking the beaches in California and Hawaii. She was a caring and creative teacher and a wonderful wife, mother and daughter. She has left a huge hole in many lives. Jennifer is survived by her husband, Glenn Varano of Olympia; two sons, Drew Varano of San Francisco and Paul Varano of San Diego; father and step-mother, William and Barbara Wyman of Olympia; brother William Wyman and wife, Terry; brother, James Wyman of California; step-brother, Daniel Smith of Talent, Oregon; three nieces, Mary Wyman of Riverside, California, AnnMarie Rippa of Arizona, Mary Anne Varano of Cleveland; and nephew, Christopher Varano of Cleveland. She was preceded in death by her mother, Norma Wyman of Orange, California. A memorial service will be held at Westwood Baptist Church, 333 Kaiser Rd., at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. Memorial contributions may be made to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 4305 Lacey Blvd. SE #5, Lacey, WA 98503. Please leave memories of Jennifer and condolences for the family online by clicking "View Guestbook" below.