Jean Marie Lebeda

Jean Marie Hazlewood Lebeda, loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, cousin, niece, and friend to many, passed away on March 7, 2026, at the age of 82 at the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. She was born in Waverly, Iowa on March 30, 1943, to James Hazlewood and Elna Bryhl Hazlewood. Jean was the second-eldest daughter in a family of four girls. Jim and Elna raised their four daughters, Joan, Jean, Judy, and Joyce in Cedar Falls, and in the community, they were often referred to as “the Hazlewood girls.” Jean attended Cedar Falls schools from kindergarten through high school. She played clarinet in the Marching Band and worked at Baker’s Ice Cream Shop and Howard Johnson Restaurant while in high school. Jean graduated from Cedar Falls High School in 1961. After high school, she worked at Standard Glass and Paint in Waterloo and attended the State College of Iowa. On February 9, 1963, Jean married the love of her life, Joseph R. Lebeda at Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Cedar Falls. She was embraced instantly by the Lebeda family, developing a truly special bond with her mother-in-law, Nadine.

Jean was devoted to making a home for her family and raising her two children. Kari was born on January 3, 1964, and David was born on May 22, 1965. In her early years as a stay-at-home mom, Jean did some modeling for a women’s clothing store, The Chalet. Once her children started elementary school, Jean worked for many years as the secretary in the Guidance Office at their school, Malcom Price Laboratory School and later at a Family Medical Clinic in Cedar Falls. In 1985, Jean and Joe moved to Des Moines as Joe’s job took him to work in the corporate offices. Jean happily built and decorated a home in the Rocklyn Creek Neighborhood of Urbandale. Jean welcomed three grandchildren, David in 1994, Lauren in 2000 and Michael in 2002. She cared for each grandbaby when their mother, Kari, returned to work after maternity leave. Jean loved doing anything and everything with her grandchildren from baking together to trips to Keystone, Colorado, and Table Rock Lake. She treasured hearing the voices of her grandchildren especially when they called her Oma, and fondly, Om-sie.

Jean had many interests and an eye for interior decorating. In her youth, she loved spending time on the Bryhl family farms where she developed a love for trees, the changing seasons and being outdoors. She planted many trees throughout her adult life. She played bridge with her mother-in-law, Nadine, in Cedar Falls and later with friends after moving to Des Moines. With her family, Jean enjoyed camping, their condominium and water sports at Table Rock Lake, skiing in Colorado, and playing golf. Jean and Joe were members of Beaver Hills Country Club in Cedar Falls and Des Moines Golf and Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa. Jean loved to read and enjoyed reading many books in a book club with some of her friends. Over the years, Jean and Joe loved traveling together. Jean was a long-time member of PEO Chapter KO. She was most recently a member of St. Pius X Catholic Church in Urbandale with previous memberships to St. Augustin Catholic Church in Des Moines and St. Patrick Catholic Church.

For 42 years, Jean was a brave warrior battling cancer four separate times and the aftereffects of surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy. She was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease at 40 years of age and, after a short remission, again at 41 years old. Jean was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 50 and B-cell Lymphoma at 75 years of age. In 2022, Jean had a stroke. In the last few years of her life, Jean was unable to walk due to the neurotoxic impact of one chemotherapy drug used in two of her chemotherapy regimens. Jean did not complain as she endured difficult treatments, side effects, and follow-up care. She powered through it all, thankful to be with her husband and family. She continued to enjoy life and her family even as her health and stamina declined, particularly in the last five years of her life.

Jean is survived by her beloved husband of 63 years, Joseph R. Lebeda; children Kari (Douglas) Lebeda Townsend of Urbandale and David Lebeda of Johnston. Jean loved and cherished her three grandchildren, David Joseph Townsend of Urbandale, Lauren Marie Townsend of New York City, and Michael Roderick Townsend of Urbandale. She is also survived by her two younger sisters, Judy (Robert) Bierstedt of Pearland, Texas, and Joyce (Douglas) Schuler of Friendswood, Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents; her parents-in-law Nadine and Joseph Lebeda; her brother-in-law Dean Lebeda and her older sister Joan Swede.

In memory of Jean, contributions may be made to Can Do Cancer, P.O. Box 602, Ankeny, Iowa 50021 or at candocancer.org (select donate and in memory of link). Online condolence may be left for the family at www.caldwellparrish.com.