Jean Fredrick Gregory Knehans, known as "Freddie" to her family and friends, was born July 24, 1937. She was the third daughter of a three-girl family in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Jean attended elementary school and high school in Jeffersonville, then followed in her mother's footsteps by enrolling in Kentucky Baptist Hospital School of Nursing in Louisville, Kentucky. Upon graduation, she worked as an operating room nurse at Kentucky Baptist Hospital, eventually rising to become a member of the faculty teaching operating room nursing.

Leaving Kentucky Baptist Hospital, Jean volunteered for the toughest job in the Navy by marrying a young naval officer. Quickly adapting to her new life, she was a devoted mother to two rambunctious boys and involved herself both in the local community and Officers' Wives Clubs at each of their assignments. This included two tours in Japan plus various locations up and down the East and West coasts.

Jean was an avid reader and an outspoken advocate of the importance of reading as of as part of the education process for everyone. She acted upon this belief by volunteering as a teacher's aide in numerous elementary schools, continuing this activity in Florida following her husband's retirement from the Navy. About that time, she reluctantly learned to play golf and got hooked, equally reluctantly giving up the game when they moved to Texas. While there, she participated in the activities at Air Force Village I, now Blue Skies of Texas East. Jean was eventually to lose her long and tenacious battle against numerous diseases, succumbing on 21 September 2021.

Jean is survived by her husband, William Edmund Knehans; two sons, William Frederick, and Christopher Gregory; four grandchildren, William Edward, Morgan Elizabeth, Jonathan Gregory, and Alicia Kate; and her sister, Johanna Lambert.

A Graveside Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. The funeral procession will depart Blue Skies of Texas East at 9:45 a.m.

Arrangements by Tondre-Guinn Funeral Home. Visit www.tondre-guinn.com