Jean Lawrence Monroe, age 98, passed away on November 22, 2019, at the Hazard Health and Rehab Center in Hazard, KY. She was born on August 31, 1921. Proceeded in death by her two brothers Philip & Kenneth Lawrence, she was the last of the surviving offspring of the late Oliver Cook Lawrence and the late Edith Hardie Lawrence. She was married for 59 years to Ralph B. Monroe who preceded her in death in 2006. Jean and Ralph Monroe lived in Michigan, Maryland and Kentucky while they raised their three sons, but it was Virginia where they settled for the longest when Ralph retired in 1981, living at Smith Mountain Lake for the next 19 years. The Lake was the perfect setting for Jean and Ralph to enjoy their love of nature and their waterfront home became the location for many memorable family gatherings. Jean will be remembered by her family and the many friends who were drawn to her over the years as much more than a homemaker, wife, mother and friend. She was a force of nature whose energy, resourcefulness, creativity and kindness was an inspiration to everyone fortunate enough to have her in their lives. Jean turned the many homemaking skills she learned growing up on a farm during the depression into a way of life that evolved into more than practical hobbies. Jean was an artist. Her art was in the clothes she sewed, the sweaters scarves and socks she knitted, the hand braided rugs and the furniture she refinished and reupholstered. Jean’s artistry was especially evident as she became a skilled spinner and weaver in her later years. Jean was generous to a fault in sharing her many skills with others, whether it be teaching a friend how to sew or knit or making drapes for the local church’s new meeting hall. If you received a gift from Jean, it was most likely something she made with her hands, which were never idle. During her time at Smith Mountain Lake she was active at the Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Moneta, VA. She also was involved in the early stages of the foundation that is restoring Thomas Jefferson’s summer home, Poplar Forest in Lynchburg, VA where she would also do spinning demonstrations in period costume. After moving to Warrenton, VA in 2000 to be closer to family, Jean became the primary caregiver to her husband Ralph as he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. After Ralph’s death Jean remained active and independent well into her 90s becoming a resident of the Moffat Manor Senior Apartments from 2011 to 2016. She was a member of the Warrenton United Methodist Church, contributed her hand-crafted items to the hospital gift shop and helped with the annual holiday cookie bake sale that benefited Warrenton Adult Daycare Center. Her last years in Warrenton she was a resident at the Villa at Sheffield Meadows. In February 2019 Jean went to be cared for by her eldest son Larry and daughter-in-law Sally in Kentucky. Jean was a firm believer that the most important afterlife was embodied in the lives of everyone in her family who carry within them not just her genes, but her example of a productive and honest life lived to the fullest. Her caregiving, creativity, generosity and common sense will be a legacy carried forward by her family as well a multitude of friends who will be inspired by the memories of her boundless energy and creative spirit. She leaves surviving three sons: Lawrence Monroe and wife Sally Monroe of Jackson, KY, Bruce Monroe of New York City and Mark Monroe of Virginia; four grandchildren: Scott Monroe, Deanna Willis, Benjamin Monroe & Aaron Monroe; six great grandchildren. A memorial service and internment will be held at 11:30 am on Wednesday, July 15th, 2020 at Bright View Cemetery, 8265 Lunsford Rd., Warrenton, VA 20188.