Jochem, Jacqueline Dunlop

Jacqueline Roberta (“Jackie”) Jochem passed away peacefully on December 1, 2023. She was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and her memory will be cherished and celebrated by the many lives she touched for years to come.

Jacqueline was born to Edith and John Dunlop in Clarendon Hills, Illinois. After graduating from Texas A&M University, she pursued a career in journalism. She met Eugene Jochem in 1958 while he was an officer in the U.S. Navy. They were married that year and were united until his death in 2012. Together they raised five children and moved to the West Coast where Gene pursued a career in Computer Science and Aeronautical Engineering.

While raising her family, Jackie cultivated her passions for writing short stories, playing the piano and gardening. She created beauty and warmth wherever the family lived. After her children entered high school, Jackie went to work for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center where she focused on public relations. When it came time to retire, she and her husband joined their son in Giles County where they had fallen in love with the mountains, the seasonal climate and the Appalachian way of life. Together they joined Wolf Creek Ruritan and were also very involved with Trinity Lutheran Church in Pearisburg.

Jackie loved spending time in the garden and was the secretary of the Narrows Rose Garden Club for many years. She also volunteered at Giles Carilion Hospital and was an avid fan of exercise and swim programs at the Giles County Wellness Center.

Jaqueline’s family requests that in Jackie’s memory, donations of any amount be given to the Wolf Creek Ruritan, 142 Penvir Rd., Narrows, VA 24124 (in lieu of flowers or gifts of food). Memories of Jackie may be shared in the view/sign guest book entry memorial section of this website.

A memorial service for Jacqueline will be held in Seattle, Washington where the family will be gathering later this month.