Jess Anne Thompson Andrews, 93, died at Rockridge Retirement Community in Northampton, Massachusetts on January 7th, 2025.
Born May 9, 1931 to Margaret (Lytle) Thompson and William Thompson, Jess grew up in Blue Island, Illinois and spent summers at the Lytle family log cabin on Flint Lake, in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Following her graduation from Lake Forest College in 1953, she spent a year teaching in Chicago, a year in the US Army Special Services planning dances and bicycle outings for servicemen in France and Germany, and a year in the Art Institute of Chicago education department giving tours and lectures.
She married C. Richard Spurgin, a diplomat, in 1956, and they had four children, three of whom were born abroad while posted in Saigon, Brazzaville, and Bangkok.
In 1969 the family returned to Chicago, settling in Morgan Park. Summers were spent at the Prairie Club’s Camp Hazelhurst in Michigan where Jess was an active parent and member of the club, including a term as club president (1985-1987). She returned to teaching while earning a master’s in education from the University of Chicago, and spent nearly 20 years as a reading specialist in the Chicago and Oak Lawn school districts. She also completed the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s docent training program, and gave the Loop and other architectural walking tours.
In 1988, she married Frank Andrews and moved to San Juan Capistrano, where she developed the town’s first architectural walking tours, created a training program for volunteer guides, and left a legacy of weekly tours that continues today. She enrolled in weekend geology classes at Saddleback College that took her on camping field trips throughout Southern California, volunteered teaching English at St Mary’s Episcopal Church, took up tennis, and participated in book clubs. She and Frank loved traveling and welcoming family and friends to their home.
Following Frank’s death in 2006, she moved to Amherst, Massachusetts to be closer to family. There she made wonderful friends, was a member of Grace Episcopal Church, took classes at Amherst College, was an enthusiastic patron of the Jones Library, and joined the Amherst and Amherst Women’s clubs. She was so fortunate to settle in Amherst. When her memory began to fail, she was able to live at home supported by the kindness and generosity of the community, the Bangs Senior Center, and Highland Valley Elder Services until March 2024, when she moved into memory care at Rockridge.
She is survived by her four children Sarah Witte, Richard Spurgin, Margaret Barnes, and William Spurgin; fifteen grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. A memorial service is planned for the summer.
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