JEAN MUNTON HANCE

VERMONT/CALIFORNIA — Jean Munton Hance, a woman of remarkable strength, creativity, and wit, passed away peacefully, shortly after returning to California to be near her family. She was 96.

Early Life & A Young Patriot

Born in Troy, N.Y., Jan. 4, 1930, to Albert Francis Munton and Ruth Elizabeth Drake, Jean was part of a lively household of seven sisters. Her childhood was marked by shifting landscapes, a response to the automobile retail industry demands of her father in various towns across the Northeast. The family followed. Jean adapted to the routine of changing schools and leaning on her own independence to face challenges. At just 14 years old, she volunteered as an Aircraft Warning Spotter during the early years of World War II, informed and ready to identify the silhouettes of planes overhead as friends or foes.

The Performer & The Traveler

Jean’s youth was filled with music and creative works. While attending Pittsfield High School in Massachusetts, she graced the stage with her voice in Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance” as Hebe and spent many hours at the piano. She continued to sing and play piano throughout her life.

After graduating from Cathedral High School in Burlington in 1948, Jean’s adventurous spirit took her to Tennessee. There, she developed advanced sewing skills that ignited a passion for adapting the textures, colors and types of fabrics to fully serve the breadth of family life.

She eventually returned to her family in St. Albans, Vt., where she met the love of her life, James E. Hance. The two were married Feb. 16, 1952, and went on to raise what Jean proudly described as “four perfect children.”

A Career of Vision

In 1965, Jean moved her family to Burlington and broke into the world of television at WCAX TV. In the film department, she was a behind-the-scenes force, editing films, managing advertisement placement, and coordinating camera work under the tutelage of the department head.

Ever aware when there was a signal for change, Jean moved to Los Angeles in 1974 to pursue new horizons for herself and opportunities for her children. When contemporaries said she wouldn’t make it alone, in characteristic fashion she opined “If the road is there, I’ll make it.” And so she did, with an Auto Club map, four kids, and a 70s Ford LTD pulling a U-Haul across America, spurred by the wings of desire for a better life and the courage to change.

Arriving in Sherman Oaks, Calif., her skill with textiles and understanding of the power of decor led to a successful second career. She worked as a designer for Bullock’s Department Store, a premiere fashion and “pioneering suburban luxury retail store.” She remained a designer until her retirement. Never one to stop learning, she also attended college in California, focusing her studies on Women’s History and Childhood Development. Her advice was always: “If life isn’t working for you, face it, and take action.”

Community & Reflection

Jean returned to her Vermont roots in 2003, settling in Vergennes on Walker Avenue. She was a beloved member of the community, an active member of St. Peter’s Parish, and a proud member of the Red Hat Society, and cherished her neighbors of 24 years as family. Whether she was sharing observations of daily life through her writing or enjoying summers at the family camp in St. Albans Bay, Jean lived with an outspoken and funny grace that drew people to her. In January 2026, Jean made her final move back to California, completing the circle of a life well-lived by spending her final days surrounded by three of her four children and her grandchildren.

Family & Legacy

Jean was predeceased by her husband, James E. Hance, and her sisters Ruth Wells, Helen and Ed Kahrs, and Elizabeth and Ron Stephany. She is survived by her sisters, Mary Munton, Alberta Munton, and Carole and Werner Hoffmann; her four children, Catherine Moulaison and husband Russell, Jeanmarie Hance and husband Ray Torres, Tom Hance and his wife Shirley, and Barbara Saltzberg and husband Kenny; her grandchildren, Natasha Hevesy and husband Christopher, Brijean Murphy, Sierra Buzzell and husband Fred and Travis Saltzberg; and with her six great-grandchildren. Her brave spirit and pointed sense of humor will be missed.

A celebration of Life will be planned in the coming months in Vermont. ◊