Jeanne Guthrie

Jeanne Myers Guthrie, 89, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 after a brief illness.

She was born July 31, 1933, in Erie, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Raymond and Thelma Kuehl Myers and the adopted daughter of Thomas and Marian Guthrie, all deceased.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Cheryl Levesque, brother-in-law Morrie Levesque, brother David Guthrie, sister-in-law Sharon Guthrie, niece Jennifer Guthrie, and niece-in-law Janis Guthrie.

Jeanne graduated from East High School and worked for GTE for many years before opening Guthrie Optical with her sister Karen in 1976. She was a wizard at choosing the perfect frame for anyone’s face. One of her biggest joys in life was her Catholic faith. She was a member of Saint Julia Roman Catholic Church for over 40 years where she was “keeper of the keys” and opened the church almost daily. She was involved with St. Julia’s Rosary Society, Liturgy Committee and Parish Council. Her life revolved around church, and she was a faithful servant. An avid bowler for many years, she spent a decade as the 1 st Vice President of the Erie Women’s Bowling Association and a director of the Pennsylvania State Women’s Bowling Association. She introduced her family to the fun of bowling with the Family Feud League at Rolling Meadows. Jeanne was also one of the founders of HERD (Happy Entertainment and Recreation for the Disabled) which provided fun activities, including bowling, to disabled people.

No one kept a cleaner house than Jeanne. Nicknamed “Tidy Tessie” by her family, she was right there to take your plate even if you weren’t quite done eating. She was never one for beauty trends, but debunked the myth that mayonnaise would soften coarse hair. Always the caretaker, she nursed many family members including her mother, Aunt Helen, Aunt Louise and father at what was lovingly called “Guthrie’s Nursing Home.” She continued to honor her lost relatives by faithfully caring for their grave sites every season. At the crack of spring, Jeanne would be outdoors weeding and picking up sticks while Karen rode the mower. Their lawn would never be the shame of the neighborhood. Jeanne was a very tough lady, brushing off broken bones as if they were a scratch. Even a stroke in 1998 didn’t slow her down for long. From that point on she sometimes struggled with her words, so Karen became her translator. When Karen did not get the meaning correct, Jeanne would give the “dismissive hand wave” and say “nevermind!”

Jeanne will be loved and missed the most by her sister, Karen. She is also survived by her favorite niece, Michelle Tefft and her husband Andy, nephews John Levesque, David Guthrie and Jeff Guthrie, numerous grand-nieces and -nephews, former sister-in-law Judy Guthrie, and loving friend Teresa Guyton, all of Erie. She never had children of her own, but cared for her many pets as if they were her children, most recently the cats she called “the dogs” (to include cranky Bella, who tolerates exactly two people). And to set the record straight, she did not need a hearing aid.

Friends may call at the Burton Quinn-Scott Cremation and Funeral Services, West Ridge 3801 West 26th Street on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The funeral service will be held there at 2 p.m. in the All Faith’s Chapel. Jeanne will be laid to rest in the family plot at Trinity Cemetery.

Memorials can be made to the ANNA Shelter, 1555 East 10th, Erie, PA 16511, Orphan Angels, 5439 West Lake Road, Erie, PA 16505 or Saint Julia Church, 638 Roslyn Ave, Erie, PA 16505.

Send condolences at www.BurtonQuinnScott.com.