Jean Ruth Moriarty, philanthropist and cherished member of the Segerstrom family, passed away on April 11, 2023, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She was 72.
Jean was born on December 18, 1950, in Los Angeles to Eugene and Ruth Ann Moriarty. She was the niece of Henry Segerstrom. The family, including her brothers Donald and Richard, spent their early years moving between New York, Michigan, and Illinois. While attending elementary school in Grosse Point, MI., Jean demonstrated a strong academic ability that she would cultivate throughout her life.
Her family returned to California in 1961 so her parents to join the family business, CJ Segerstrom and Sons. The Moriartys would settle in Santa Ana California, where Jean graduated from Willard Junior High in 1965. In 1969, Jeanne made her debut in her Debutante Ball and graduated from Santa Ana High School.
While attending Santa Ana High School, Jean found her love of the theater by joining The Little Theater Guild and The Thespians. This dedication to the arts would stay with her for the rest of her life. As a champion of the arts, Jean was a consistent sponsor, donor, and patron of Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Pacific Symphony.
Following high school, Jean took time to travel throughout Europe before beginning her studies at USC, her mother and father’s alma mater. Jean received her B.S. in Business Administration in 1974 and her MBA in 1975. She was also a member of Alpha Chi Omega, a sorority dedicated to academic excellence.
Following graduation, Jean joined the Segerstrom family business as a leasing agent. Looking to explore other passions, Jean became a licensed broker, an interior decorator, and stager. Jean spent years using her keen eye for style and color to create beauty in every space that she could.
In her later years, Jean increasingly focused on a variety of philanthropic initiatives.
Jean, a multiple time cancer survivor, exemplified strength, resilience, and what it meant to be a fighter. Jean didn’t define herself by her health, instead she spent her life cultivating her closest relationships, most notably, with her parents, acting as a constant support to them until their deaths. Jean epitomized what it meant to be a devoted daughter.
Jean was preceded in death by her parents, Gene and Ruth Ann Moriarty. She is survived by her brother Donald and wife Lacey, brother Richard and wife Marilyn, six nieces and nephews, and her beloved dog, Cupid.
