Jeanne Gerritsen, past President of AWC Detroit
Sadly, Jeanne Gerritsen, 85, recently passed away. She was a woman business owner, NAWBO member, past President of the AWC Detroit chapter, Peace Corps volunteer, world traveler, student, poet, and painter. Jeanne was a long-time member of the Association of Women in Communications, starting in the 1960s, often helping to bolster efforts to build the membership of women entrepreneurs.
She lived in Kazakhstan in the early 1990s, working with women entrepreneurs through the Peace Corps. While there, she fell ill and returned to the States. She continued to do some public relations work and settled into retirement, eventually moving to Chicago to be closer to her daughter and granddaughters.
Jeanne was a staunch believer in women and their power to make an impact on the business community. At the end of her life, she had everything organized, donating her brain to continue with the Alzheimer’s study she had been involved in for years, and her body to medical research.
We lovingly honor Jeanne and all of her contributions.
What lovely tributes of two recently passed members, Naomi Siegel and Jeanne Garritsen. They both were huge supporters of the chapter as well as the advancement of women. They left their mark. Pat Anstett