Jean Loreida Branton

Jean Loreida Branton

It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Jean Branton, 72, of Madison, passed away in her sleep on August 3rd, 2023 at her home at Yasmin’s Loving Care adult family home. She was born to Charles and Astrid Branton on September 9th, 1950 in Baraboo, Wisconsin. The family moved to Madison when she was very young. Growing up Jean loved swimming with her sisters at Vilas Beach and playing tennis in Westmorland Park. She modeled for the local department store, Gimble’s, and during her freshman year at University of Wisconsin-Madison she was scouted by an editor for Mademoiselle Magazine who signed her to a modeling contract. During a brief but very successful modeling career she appeared in Vogue, The New York Times Magazine, on the covers of Mademoiselle and Harper’s Bazaar, and on runways in London, Paris and Milan. Despite that success, Jean had a desire to do something more substantive, so she moved back to Madison to complete a BA in Social Work. She graduated from UW-Madison and was married in 1974. Working as a social worker convinced her that she could do more good for people if she better understood the law, so she went back to school and received a law degree from John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1981. In 1983 she gave birth to her son, Sam. She divorced in 1987. A lifelong mental health struggle kept her from practicing law, but didn’t stop her from helping people—most of her working life was spent as a nursing assistant in health care facilities and nursing homes, showing care and kindness to those she considered less fortunate than herself. The community support of several Madison-area churches, most notably Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and Bethel Lutheran Church, along with her faith, were a light that helped guide her through the dark parts of her life, and allowed her never to be jaded by her struggles. In her last five years, Jean allowed other people to care for her as she had cared for others for so long, and that had a transformative effect on her life. Her last years were good ones, spent in a loving and supportive community who will miss her dearly. She is survived by her sisters, Mary and Susan, and her son, Sam.

Memorial services will be held in the Bethel Lutheran Church (in the Good Shepherd Chapel) on Monday August 28th at 11am, all are welcome.

Donations can be made in Jean’s honor to Journey Mental Health https://www.journeymhc.org/join-us/donate

Cress Funeral Service

3610 Speedway Rd.

Madison, WI 53705

608-238-3434