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Clara Jean (Peters) Conley, former office manager and lifelong ôôֱ���Modern Missôôֱ���, died peacefully Sunday April 28, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida after an independent life. A memorial service will be held in Arkansas at a later date.

Jean was born June 17, 1933 in rural Cabot, Arkansas becoming part of a large extended family of farmers and ranchers that homesteaded the area. While working side-by-side with the hired hands in her familyôôֱ���s cotton fields, Jean focused on her education and graduated with perfect attendance as the Salutatorian and Secretary of her Jacksonville (Arkansas) High School class. Other aspects of Jeanôôֱ���s early years were taking care of livestock especially two horses named Emma and Coaly, singing in the Little Bethel Baptist Girls Chorale, and learning the details of keeping a home in good running order. She absorbed the value of hard work, planning and independence.

Jeanôôֱ���s interest in the business world took her to Little Rock, Arkansas in 1952 where she truly embraced being a highly-regarded office manager at Prudential Insurance. In 1957 Jean purchased a new pink Oldsmobile Coupe. That summer, she and her girlfriends hit the road and traveled across America. Donning sunglasses and with scarves blowing in the wind, they drove to Florida, across the southwest, and all the way to California.

After marrying, Jean lived in Virginia, Washington D.C., Arkansas, and finally in Germantown, Tennessee where she resided for 54 years and raised her two children, Lee and Jean Ann. With her wide circle of friends, Jean enjoyed ballroom dancing, church, and outings to Theater Memphis and the movies. She told of favorite dinners at numerous iconic Memphis restaurants including Patrickôôֱ���s, Coletaôôֱ���s, Folks Folly and Justineôôֱ���s.

Jeanôôֱ���s work life was very important to her and she was proud of her many years working for Dr. S. Howard Bartley in the Psychology Department at the University of Memphis. Ultimately Jean retired from the Memphis office of J Walter Thompson Advertising after being a vital part of the operations and management of the Ford Dealer accounts across the mid-south. Her talent for planning and hosting the annual client meetings during the 80ôôֱ���s and 90ôôֱ���s is legendary.

There are many people to whom Jean expressed thanks: her neighbors in Germantown, Tennessee especially David, Brenda, Beverly, Sally, and Nancy; and the staffs of her skilled nursing facilities and Hospice teams in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jean was preceded in death by her parents Jesse Lee Peters and Dollie Lee Driskell Peters, her former husband John Leonard Conley Jr, her brother Carl Truman Peters, and most of her long-time friends with whom she had such fond memories. Survivors: Lee Conley (Tracey), Jean Ann Conley Beckley (Jim), grandchildren Mary Sullivan Beckley, Chris Beckley, and Anna Beckley, sister-in-law Pat Peters, and many nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to your local hospice care services.