Jean Robertson Wilson

Jean Robertson Wilson, age 93, passed away on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, after a brief illness.

Born April 8, 1930, in Takoma Park, MD, Jean was the younger daughter of George & Merriam (Wyckoff) Robertson. She was a 1948 graduate of Montgomery Blair High School and completed the secretarial course at Washington School for Secretaries. Early in her adult life she worked as a secretarial “temp” with assignments including a month-long stint for former President Harry S. Truman during his transition from the White House. She also was an employee of the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), which is where she met her future husband, Leo E. Wilson. After marrying and raising her family, she returned to the workforce as an executive secretary with Concrete Pipe & Products (CP&P), then headquartered in Jessup, MD. Through her career with CP&P, she ascended the ranks to become the company’s first-ever female plant manager (managing both the Jessup and Manassas plants), serving in that capacity for several years until retiring in 1992.

In 1953, Jean married Leo, the love of her life. Having lived in Laurel since 1955, in 1959 they bought a newly constructed home in Laurel Hills, where they lived the rest of their lives, with Leo passing in 1996. Together they raised three daughters in that home and were active in the community in many ways, from local politics to civic, school, and church involvement. Jean was Laurel’s First Lady during the years 1972-1978 after having been a councilman’s wife for the preceding ten years. She was active in the city’s Centennial (1970) and 125th anniversary (1995) celebrations and was named one of two honorary co-chairs for the 150th anniversary celebration (2020). She was a member of St. Mary of the Mills Roman Catholic Parish, where she served as a CCD teacher and school volunteer for several years. She was also a founding and long-serving member of the Laurel Historical Society, where she was an active volunteer and Board of Directors member who was named a Director Emeritus. She also was active in the Laurel Garden Club and the Laurel Senior Friendship Club. In 1994, in recognition of her dedicated work as a “Political Activist and Community Volunteer” in greater Laurel and Prince George’s County, she was named a “Woman of Achievement in Prince George’s County History.”

In her post-retirement years, she enjoyed traveling with her family, especially taking ocean cruises, and she loved her summers sitting on the porch at the family cabin at Deep Creek Lake.

Jean is survived by her daughters Margaret (Steve) Hubbard, Celia (Jim) Craze, and Helen (Mike) Webster, as well as nine grandchildren – Kyle (Priscilla) Hubbard, Jeff (Maria) Hubbard, Joanna (Donald) Chiarella, Theresa Hubbard (Jeff Peters), Erin (Dan) Adkins, Dan Webster (Morgan Brown), Rebecca Webster (Ross Houston), Aimee Craze, and Jim (Cheree) Craze – and five (soon-to-be six) great-grandchildren, many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her sister Patricia Linscott.

Visitation will be at Donaldson Funeral Home in Laurel, on Sunday, December 10, 2023, during the hours of 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, December 11, 2023, 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary of the Mills Church in Laurel, with burial following in St. Mary’s cemetery. Relatives and friends are welcome to join in repast at the Monsignor Keesler Parish Center, 800 Main Street, Laurel, 12:00 – 2:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to the Laurel Historical Society in Jean’s memory.

Laurel Historical Society
P.O. Box 774, Laurel MD 20725
Web: http://www.laurelhistoricalsociety.org/donations.html