With hearts full of love and gratitude for the years that we were blessed to share life with her, we announce that our beloved mother and grandmother, Vera Jean Love, age 100, of Huntsville, Alabama, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Monday, February 16, 2026. She was born on May 24, 1925, in Indianapolis, Indiana, and grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. She graduated from Francis Joseph Reitz High School in 1943, and attended Lockyear’s Business College in Evansville, after which she was employed as a secretary at Aetna Loan Company and at Aetna Oil Company in Evansville.
Jean was a longtime, active member of the First Cumberland Presbyterian Churches in both Evansville and Huntsville. For years, she sang alto in both church choirs, was active in adult Sunday School classes, served as Women’s Circle Chairman, a member of the Music & Worship Committee, Children’s Sunday School Teacher, Presbyterial Summer Youth Camp Counselor, Teacher, and Cook, and a longtime member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry. In addition to her church activities, Jean served as one of the first volunteers to deliver meals for the Huntsville Meals on Wheels program and as a Girl Scout Leader in Evansville.
Jean loved her family beyond measure. She was loving, compassionate, generous, thoughtful, kind, caring, selfless, and empathetic, always going above and beyond to help those in need. She was an excellent cook, improvising and altering recipes, instinctively knowing how to create one-of-a-kind gourmet dishes. She had an amazing sense of style and grace, uncanny intuition, a warm sense of humor, great wisdom, beautiful spirit, and tremendous patience. Her beautiful smile and laugh were contagious and brought much joy to her family and friends. Her natural creative talents found outlets in her love of craft work, sewing, cooking, home decorating, and antique collecting. During her life, she was a selfless caregiver for her mother, husband, children, grandchildren, and family pets. She led a remarkable life of service to others. She exemplified unwavering faith in her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and looked forward to being eternally in His everlasting presence. During her 100 years of life, she exuded an inner strength, perseverance, determination, and will to live as she coped with multiple serious medical problems and treatments. In her advanced years, she liked to relate stories about her experiences as a child, youth, and young adult, captivating her children and grandchildren with her interesting, and often humorous accounts.
Jean married the love of her life, James “Jim” Philip Love, on August 20, 1949, in Evansville. They shared a 51-year marriage until Jim’s death in 2000. In 1962, Jim and Jean and their two daughters moved to Huntsville, Alabama, when Jim became employed by the U.S. Army Missile Command at the Redstone Arsenal. Since then, they made Huntsville their home. Jean was a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, grandmother, and great grandmother, loving her family and friends unconditionally. She was a woman of great faith, always giving all glory, praise, and thanksgiving to God.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, James “Jim” Philip Love, her son-in-law, the Rev. Dr. John David Hall, and her brothers-in-law, Joseph Vier McCollum and Elmer Parchert. She is survived by her daughters, Carol Ann Love Hall, of Huntsville, and Rebecca Jean Love Reich (Matthew) of Fairview, TN; grandchildren, Zachary Love (Marita) and Christopher Reich, both of Huntsville, and Sierra Willis (Andrew) of Ashland City, TN; great grandchildren, Hayden and Jace Reich, and Barbie Lopez Adriano; sister, Mary McCollum, of Shelton, CT; sister-in-law, Linda Parchert, of Holland, MI; niece, Kimberly Smriga, of Shelton, CT; and nephew, Michael McCollum, of Greensburg, PA.
Visitation will be held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. immediately followed by the funeral service on Saturday, February 21, 2026. at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1802 Bankhead Parkway, Huntsville, AL 35801, with Chaplain Rev. Ray Howton, US Army (Ret.), officiating. A graveside service will be held at Maple Hill Cemetery at 3:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Jean’s memory to Christmas Charities Year Round, 1035 Putnam Dr., NW, STE D1, Huntsville, AL, 35816; the American Bible Society, P.O. Box 8914, Topeka, KS 66608; or the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 777, Huntsville, AL 35804, all of which held special places in her heart.
