Jean Byrne
Jean Byrne was an American educator who served as the First Lady of New Jersey from 1974 to 1982 during the tenure of her former husband, two-term Governor Brendan Byrne.
Byrne was born Jean Featherly in Newark, New Jersey, to George Featherly and the former Jane Crysler. She was raised in nearby West Orange. She received her bachelor's degree from Bucknell University and her master's degree from New York University. She taught second grade at an elementary school in West Orange, New Jersey. However, she was forced to leave her teaching position once she became pregnant with her first child, who was born in 1954. She referred to that era of mandatory withdrawal from public life during pregnancy as the "dark ages" during a 2013 interview with Rutgers University. She had married Brendan Byrne in 1953, with whom she had seven children: Brendan, Susan, Nancy, Timothy, Mary Anne, Barbara, and William.
Brendan Byrne was twice elected Governor of New Jersey, serving from 1974 to 1982. As the state's First Lady, Byrne largely focused on issues related to healthcare and education. One of Byrne's main causes was advocating for research on Down syndrome, with which one of her daughters was affected. The role of First Lady also afforded Byrne the opportunity to host a number of dignitaries at Morven, the former New Jersey governors' residence in Princeton, including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and Grace Kelly. Jean and Brendan Byrne divorced in 1993.
Jean Byrne, a resident of Princeton, died from complications of babesiosis, a tick-borne illness affecting red blood cells, on August 9, 2015, at the age of 88. She was survived by six of her seven children.
