Nancy Jalet

JALET, Mary Anne (Nancy) née LEONARD (86) New York City 7:550p - 10 November 2020 - passed quietly at home into eternal rest after a long and debilitating illness. Nancy was born 8 Feb 1934 in Paterson, NJ, the second child and first daughter of Edward F Leonard III MD and Adelyn Minder Leonard. She attended elementary school at St. Joseph's Parish School in Paterson with her brother, Edward F Leonard IV. Her father died unexpectedly in 1941and an infant sister, Elizabeth, followed him the next year. Her mother's subsequent marriage to John A Bohl of Paterson, saw the family move with wartime employment to Indianapolis, IN where she and her brother resumed their educations at Joan of Arc Parish School. There the family grew to include a brother, John A Bohl Jr and a sister, Barbara. In the aftermath of WWII, the family relocated to Willow Grove, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. After a short stint at Academy of Notre Dame de Namur in Villanova, PA, Nancy graduated from Abington Senior High School in 1952 and went on to study journalism at Goucher College on an academic scholarship. Her BA in Journalism was completed at Marymount Manhattan College in 1956, followed by a teaching certificate from Teacher's College of Columbia University in 1957. An admirer of Jack Kerouac and other "beat generation" authors, she joined the expatriate community in Paris, France in 1957 and worked as a researcher for syndicated columnist, author and Pulitzer Prize recipient, Art Buchwald until 1962. She then worked for Cy Sulzberger, an author, worldwide syndicated columnist, and foreign correspondent for the International Edition of the New York Herald Tribune. She returned to NYC in 1965 and took her place on the masthead of Time Magazine as a research editor. In 1966 she met and married Marius Stephens "Jack" Jalet and in 1972 they had a son, Matthew. After Jack's death in 1974, Matthew's needs became her priority and she left Time Magazine to focus on his care. She became an ardent advocate for Matthew's special needs and for others similarly situated. After years of decline, she is, at last, at peace. She is survived by her son, Matthew, brothers Edward F Leonard PhD (Sheri) of NYC and John A Bohl (Peggy) of Winter Park, FL; a sister, Barbara Brunner, in Mission Viejo, CA; nieces and nephews from all across the continental US and Great Britain and stepdaughters Frances Jalet Miller and Vanessa Jalet Stanescu; and her devoted caregiver, Bibi Prashad. Her remains will be cremated. No funeral services are planned. Family memorial will be private. Condolences can be sent to Leonard 605 W 113th St #71, NY, NY 10025. (Barbara Brunner)