Olive Jean McNamara
1936 - 2025
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Invite friends and family to read the obituary and add memories.
Olive Jean McNamara passed away on November 1, 2025, at the age of 89.
Born on January 27, 1936 in Poughkeepsie, NY, Jean was the daughter of Mary Augusta Losee and Harmon Ingles. A fiercely independent spirit and passionate advocate for animal rights, she shared her home with many beloved feline companions over the years.
Jean’s love of art and music defined much of her life. An admirer of Flemish art and the works of Beethoven, she was also an accomplished musician, mastering several 16th-century instruments such as the harp and recorder. Her true passion, however, was the lute—a Renaissance-era stringed instrument with Middle Eastern origins that she played with exceptional skill. Jean’s performances with the Ulster Community College Early Music Consort brought the sounds of the Renaissance and Baroque periods to life at Renaissance faires and Shakespearean productions throughout the region.
Educated at Dutchess County Community College and SUNY New Paltz, Jean could often be found tending her expansive floral gardens or pursuing her love of geology as an avid rockhound.
Jean is survived by her daughter, Sarah McNamara of Greenfield Center, NY; her son Thomas McNamara of Malta, NY; her grandson, Sebastian; and numerous family members throughout the Hudson Valley who will remember her strength and unwavering sense of individuality.
The family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the friends and neighbors who offered kindness and support to Jean in her final years.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jean’s memory to the Ulster County SPCA, honoring her lifelong devotion to the welfare of animals.
Born on January 27, 1936 in Poughkeepsie, NY, Jean was the daughter of Mary Augusta Losee and Harmon Ingles. A fiercely independent spirit and passionate advocate for animal rights, she shared her home with many beloved feline companions over the years.
Jean’s love of art and music defined much of her life. An admirer of Flemish art and the works of Beethoven, she was also an accomplished musician, mastering several 16th-century instruments such as the harp and recorder. Her true passion, however, was the lute—a Renaissance-era stringed instrument with Middle Eastern origins that she played with exceptional skill. Jean’s performances with the Ulster Community College Early Music Consort brought the sounds of the Renaissance and Baroque periods to life at Renaissance faires and Shakespearean productions throughout the region.
Educated at Dutchess County Community College and SUNY New Paltz, Jean could often be found tending her expansive floral gardens or pursuing her love of geology as an avid rockhound.
Jean is survived by her daughter, Sarah McNamara of Greenfield Center, NY; her son Thomas McNamara of Malta, NY; her grandson, Sebastian; and numerous family members throughout the Hudson Valley who will remember her strength and unwavering sense of individuality.
The family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the friends and neighbors who offered kindness and support to Jean in her final years.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jean’s memory to the Ulster County SPCA, honoring her lifelong devotion to the welfare of animals.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Olive Jean McNamara, please visit our flower store.
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