HAVERHILL: Jean A. (Brennan) Kozack, 98, passed away peacefully after a period of declining health on Saturday, July 30, 2016.
Jean was born on February 20, 1918 in Brooklyn, New York, to a traditional Irish Catholic family with two siblings, Frank and Claire. She graduated high school in 1936 and shortly thereafter married William Kozack. In her early twenties, she suffered from degenerative cataracts that ultimately left her blind. With optimism, vigor and tenacity, she independently navigated a daily commute on the subways of New York City to her job as a medical clerk at Con-Edison and raised two children, William Jr. and James, eventually as a single mother.
After working at Con Edison for over 20 years, she retired and left New York for Haverhill, Massachusetts in 1975. However, her resilience and accent did not remain in Brooklyn. She was accompanied by her son's growing family and one of her four treasured guide dogs. For the next 20 years, Jean and her guide dog walked more than 3 miles a day in the neighborhood.
For those living in Haverhill in the 1980's through 2000's, you have likely have seen our beloved Jean, walking with her guide dog on Main Street. However, unless you were lucky enough to have met Jean, her legacy and accomplishments may have gone unrecognized until now.
In her adopted hometown, Jean went on to receive an associate degree with honors at Northern Essex Community College, to take on multiple leadership positions in senior groups for the blind and to become a grandmother of four. Along the way, she also met many wonderful friends.
Jean lived a rich, full life and continued to thrive through her nineties. While her step may have slowed slightly, her passion for life, friends and family continued. In her free time, she enjoyed chocolate, dancing, listening to books on tape and the occasional margarita with salt. In her final days, she welcomed her second great-grandson, Nathaniel.
While we are all faced with the eventuality of death, Jean at times appeared to have discovered the fountain of youth. She remained largely healthy and jovial until the end. While she may no longer be with us, her spirit and legacy will continue to be present in everyone she touched.
Jean is survived by her sons, William Kozack and his wife, Yurie of Haverhill and James Kozack of Spring Valley, New York; four grandchildren, Katherine, Kenneth and his wife, Elisabeth, Ann and James and two great-grandsons: William and Nathaniel.
Her funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday in St. James Church, 185 Winter St., Haverhill at 11 a.m. Visitation will be held on Friday prior to the Mass in the Linnehan-Grondin Funeral Home, 129 Kenoza Ave., Haverhill from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. Interment will be held in St. James Cemetery, Haverhill. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Jean’s name to the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. (Specify in memory of Jean Kozack) 371 East Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, N.Y. 11787-2976. Donations will be pooled and will be used to sponsor a seeing-eye dog or kennel. Online contributions may be sent to: http://www.guidedog.org/. For more information and to send online condolences, please visit, www.linnehan-grondin.com.