Jeanne Gildea; Determined, Courageous, Compassionate

Jeanne Caroline Gildea was born in 1926 in Hollidaysburg, PA.  Her parents, Raymond and Madeline were the roots of what would become an expansive family tree of 120 direct descendants.  Jeanne was one of five children, with three brothers– Richard, Joe and Tommie and one sister – Judy.  

In 1928, at just 18 months old, Jeanne received a polio diagnosis.  At the time, polio was a terrifying epidemic and still two decades from a vaccine.  The Gildea family was not one of great means, but Raymond was determined to get the best care for Jeanne; he set aside his pride in asking for help, visited Shriner’s Hospital of Altoona, and asked them to save baby Jeanne.  An administrator, Mr. Fink, took pity on the family and was able to get Jeanne into the Shriner’s facility in Philadelphia; a place much more specialized for treating polio patients.  

By this time, the disease had already caused irreversible damage to Jeanne’s legs and she was going to need extensive medical treatments and multiple surgeries.  Once again, Raymond sought out the help of others to ensure Jeanne would get the care and treatments she needed.  He was acquainted with a state representative and made contact with him to ask for assistance.  Soon after, Madeline got a call:  Jeanne’s medical care was going to be paid for, and there would be plenty of it in her young life.  

Jeanne spent a great deal of her childhood in the Philadelphia hospital.  Due to economic and logistical restraints, much of her time there was alone with only intermittent visits from family.  Jeanne had to keep herself occupied and entertained for long periods; her longest stay was 11 months.  She read avidly and taught herself to knit- a hobby she would continue over her entire life.  She also came to love movies and would post movie posters on her hospital room walls.  Though she had extensive treatments, at age 11 doctors told her she would have to have her knee removed and her leg bones fused if she wanted any chance of walking, even if it would be on crutches.  The surgery took 7 hours and meant that Jeanne’s left leg was permanently straight; she would have to learn to walk again without the ability to bend one knee while also balancing on crutches.  

Jeanne’s mobility restrictions did nothing to quash her thirst for independence and drive for success.  She was determined to live her life as normally as possible and never wanted to be treated differently or as less able.  After graduating high school, Jeanne wanted to pursue college, but at that time it was not common practice for women and her father was not amiable to the idea.  This led Jeanne to secure a secretarial position at Mr. Smith’s, a local law firm, which she walked to and from daily for a total of 2 miles per day.  At 22, after many years of reliance and restriction, Jeanne decided she wanted to learn to drive.  Her mother reluctantly agreed to teach her without her father’s knowledge and they worked diligently in secret until Jeanne was a proficient automobile operator.  It was then that Jeanne declared she wanted to move to Washington D.C.  Raymond gave her an unequivocal “No!” but Jeanne would not be dismissed, telling her Daddy that, “If Franklin Roosevelt can become President of the United States with polio, then surely I can move to Washington on my own.”  Soon after, Jeanne used money she had been saving from her job at Sullivan’s and bought a car, packed it up and headed to Washington D.C. where she would live with her Aunt Edna, a caveat insisted upon by Raymond.  

In what would be her lifelong home, Jeanne began her career working in another law firm as a secretary. Though the work was very similar, the environment was one that made Jeanne feel uncomfortable and she soon left the position, knowing in her heart there would be a better opportunity for her.  However, she would soon become quite sick with ulcerative colitis.  She was in a great deal of pain and her prognosis was dire.  The doctor advised the family to take her home and make her comfortable.  Therefore, once again, Jeanne was living with her parents and relying on them to care for her.  She spent many weeks showing no improvement, her family uncertain if she would pull through.  Then, after three months, Jeanne began to feel better; she beat the odds once again and began a road to recovery so that she could get back to living her life on her terms.  

Upon returning to Washington, Jeanne secured a secretarial position at the United States Intelligence Agency (USIA).  She rose the ranks, eventually becoming the administrative assistant to the Deputy Director where she was privy to top secret conversations and classified materials.  The position was a perfect match for someone with the intelligence, perseverance, drive and integrity of Jeanne Gildea.  She remained at the USIA for the duration of her career before retiring early at age 50 so that she could devote more time to volunteerism.

Jeanne was a devout Catholic and had always been very involved with her church, both as a parishioner and a volunteer.  Prior to her retirement, she was asked to volunteer at the House of Mercy, whose mission it was to support unwed teen mothers.  Jeanne found great meaning in this work and it was one of her post-retirement causes.  After retirement, she became the bookkeeper for her church, which she felt would help keep her mind active and sharp.  She also began assisting with taking care of babies at the orphanage.  While Jeanne never had children of her own, she loved them and found pure joy in the care of the infants.  She was always overjoyed when they were placed in a loving home.  Jeanne’s many nieces and nephews also nurtured her love of children; she always kept abreast of their lives.  Jeanne knitted personalized Christmas stockings for each child, a treasured gift for all who received them.  

At the age of 80, Jeanne moved into an independent living retirement community, where she remained very active, retiring her crutches for a motorized wheelchair to keep her mobile and independent.   When she was 88, she developed a major infection due to a tooth abscess and it nearly took her life once again.  However, Jeanne was strong and had more to do and give.  She lived two more years before dying at the age of 90.  

The family has established a scholarship fund to honor Jeanne’s legacy.  The scholarship essay asks applicants to focus on how they have overcome personal challenges while staying positive and on their personal positive impact on the world.

 In the book “A Long Way from Blair Street”,  written by one of Jeanne’s nieces, Jennifer Craven, Jennifer sums up Jeanne perfectly:  “[Jeanne was] a woman who faced adversity but never let it define her.  A role model who surpassed numerous challengers in her life with strength, grit and compassion.”