May 10, 1933 – August 25, 2025
Jean Marie Symonds, 92, cast off from her mooring in Corea Harbor on Monday, August 25, 2025. She was born on May 10, 1933, in Reading, MA, and was lovingly raised by foster parents, Harry and Annie Johnson.
After graduating from Reading High School, she earned an RN diploma from the Lawrence Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Medford, MA. She joined the Army Nurse Corps in 1957 and was stationed at Fort Sill, OK, and at Fort Sam Houston, TX, where she trained the special forces in the Medical Field Service School. While stationed in Texas, Jean met Dorothy “Dodie” Kemski, who would become her lifelong champion and partner. After leaving the army as a captain, she earned a master’s degree in science and nursing from Boston University in 1968 and taught nursing at Georgetown University.
During a vacation, Jean and Dodie fell in love with Corea, Maine, and moved there permanently in 1971. Together, created a community grocery store from an old fish house that was the heart of the village for almost a decade. Jean set out a few traps, got her lobstering license, and fished for most of the rest of her life.
In 1982, Jean returned to full-time teaching at the University of Maine in Orono in the Nursing Program. For years, she inspired nursing students to honor their chosen profession, helped countless working registered nurses earn their BSN, and led annual student trips to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. In 1990, Jean earned a doctorate from Vanderbilt University. In 1999, she retired from Orono as Professor Emeritus and in 2002 received the Maryann Hartman Award.
In 2000, after Dodie’s passing, Jean embarked on a new chapter, wintering on Jekyll Island, Georgia. For the next 23 years, she drove to and from Georgia with a carload of beloved animals. Her love of tennis, golf, and Jekyll Island brought connections, tee times, and lasting friendships into her life.
Jean loved her many golden retrievers, each of whom led a dog’s dream life. She loved being on the water and hauling traps, saying it was “like Christmas, never knowing what would be inside.” She loved being a proud member of the fishing community for 49 years. She loved people – making new connections and maintaining old ones. She loved to travel, having visited 48 of the 50 states and her beloved Scotland. She loved to read and share books. She particularly loved watching the sun go down over the harbor from the home she and Dodie built, while sharing a “titch” of scotch.
A celebration of life will be held on July 12, 2026, in Corea. In lieu of flowers or gifts, Jean has asked that any donations be made to the Dorcas Library or the Schoodic Food Pantry.
