Jean Koch
Jean Oliver Koch passed peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on January 14, 2021. An avid skier, tennis player, singer and gardener, she treasured her family, friends and beloved pets.
Her full life began to shrink in the last decade as it became clear she was struggling with Alzheimer’s disease.
Jean was born in Teaneck, N.J., to Hedwig and Frank Oliver, who were avid hikers. Gifted in ballet, she danced the lead role in her school’s rendition of Swan Lake and later studied in New York City. Her grace was evident on the ski slopes and tennis courts. She decided early on
Nabih Elhajj s family is still in Lebanon, and that is worrisome for the 33-year-old Springfield educator.
In the months following the Aug. 4 blast that killed Elhajj s mother, Zeina Chamoun, in Beirut, he has been trying to get his brother, Elie, and his wife, and his sister, Nadine, out of the country.
A first application, under an emergency relief status, Elhajj said, was denied by U.S. immigration. A second application is currently in the works, he said. I know they re suffering. They know I m suffering, Elhajj said about being apart.
With Lebanon in economic meltdown and political freefall its prime minister resigned in the wake of the explosion that killed 204 people but is still in charge of a caretaker government Elhajj worries for his siblings well-being and safety.