Jean Willis This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. www.miamibeach.com

   www.miamibeach.com/herald/cont - [Cached]

   Published on: 4/10/2001   Last Visited: 9/4/2001

   Jean Willis , 85 , longtime South Miami commissioner ( 9/03/2001 ) Jean Willis , a former South Miami commissioner , died Thursday of Alzheimer's disease. She was 85. ``She stuck to her guns and was an advocate of following the rules , '' said Susan Redding , a financial advisor for the South Miami commission and a former colleague of Willis.
   
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   Miami Herald : Jean Willis , 85 , longtime South Miami commissioner
   
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   Jean Willis , 85 , longtime South Miami commissioner
   
   Willis was elected in 1956 and served on the commission for 22 years.
   
   BY ANA VALDES avaldes@herald.com
   
   Jean Willis , a former South Miami commissioner , died Thursday of Alzheimer's disease. She was 85.
   
   ``She stuck to her guns and was an advocate of following the rules , '' said Susan Redding , a financial advisor for the South Miami commission and a former colleague of Willis.
   
   Willis was elected in 1956 and served on the commission for 22 years until her retirement in 1978.
   
   Among her pet projects while on the commission was the beautification of the city , said daughter Ann Bass , also a former South Miami commissioner.
   
   With her elected city colleagues , she worked to create Dante Fascell Park and fought to preserve a tree that was going to be cut down for more parking spaces for South Miami Hospital.
   
   For her work with the city , South Miami dedicated a park in her name , the Jean H. Willis Park at 6125 SW 61st Ct.
   
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   Born in Annapolis , Md. , the daughter of a Navy officer , Willis grew up in various parts of the world.
   
   She attended high school in Washington , D.C. , where she met her future husband , John.
   
   They married in 1938.
   
   In 1950 , the couple and their two children , son John and daughter Ann , moved to South Florida , where Willis' mother lived.
   
   Willis became a reporter for a weekly local newspaper and covered the commission meetings.
   
   Bass said her father encouraged Willis to become involved in politics.
   
   She ran for the commission in 1956 and won.
   
   While serving as a commissioner , Willis worked as executive secretary for the law department at Burger King Corp..
   
   ``This is a person who would do something rather than just talk about it , '' said Bass , who added her mother's main campaign technique was to send a letter to South Miami residents with a personal note.
   
   ``She made a great contribution to the city of South Miami in a quiet way , '' said McCann , who also recalls that at election time , Willis even disliked candidates' campaign signs going up in the city.
   
   Besides her daughters , Willis is survived by granddaughters Monica Bass , Tori Bass and Jessica Calderon and great-grandchildren Sean and Lily Calderon.
   
   Services will be held at 10 a.m. today at Riviera Presbyterian Church , 5275 Sunset Dr..
   
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