Lasting Memories

Jean Rosemond Belef-Hoggard
Dec. 27, 1927-May 17, 2016
Modesto, California
Submitted by Michael Belef

Jean Belef, 88, passed away peacefully with family by her side, May 17, 2016, in the English Oaks nursing home near her Modesto home. Jean was a devoted mother and business owner whose photography delighted her customers.

Jean Rosemond Culp was born on 27 December 1927 in Beresford (now Hillsdale) California to Ruth Viola Higley and Martin Luther Culp Jr. Intrigued by a magazine ad, young Jean ordered a spy camera. Later, she obtained a brownie camera. Mesmerized by developing photos in her parent's bathtub, 12 year old Jean Culp had caught the photo bug.

At 17, Jean photographed events for the Army Air Corps in Sacramento. Jean opened her first studio in 1967. Jean created commercial photography businesses, government and magazines and created black and white passport photographs to precise requirements. Her portraits and wedding photos were cherished by thousands of families throughout California. Jean's passion was wedding photography, for the technical challenges, the beautiful settings and people, and the artistry of capturing powerful life events. Jean passed on her entrepreneurial drive to many children who benefited from her encouraging never-quit attitude.

In 1945, her high school friend, Lillian Belef (Dughi), brought Jean to meet Lillian's brother, Eugene Belef, who was returning from the war in France. They began a long distance romance in which Eugene commuted between his parent's Sacramento home, by river boat, to Heald College in San Francisco. Jean and Eugene were married in the Catholic Church in 1950. They had 13 children, 12 of whom survive Jean today, along with 16 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and many loving extended family members.

Jean always attended Sunday mass and was a dedicated US voter. Jean and Eugene were active in Mountain View community neighborhood projects. Their contributions persist to this day as beautiful landscaping along Middlefield Road.

Her husband Eugene passed away in 1979. After all her children left the nest and after caring for her own mother, Ruth Culp, who passed away in 1989, Jean retired from photography.

Jean struck out on her own around 1994 to study the humanities, earning top grades at Humboldt State University in the lush Redwood forests of Arcata, CA. Jean also enjoyed studying one year at UMASS, Amherst.

Jean loved singing soothing lullabies to children and the silly Mairzy Doates song which she sang during daily chores. Jean was thrilled to perform as an 80 year old vocalist in the Carmina Burana performance for the Humboldt State University Choral ensemble.

Jean was a fearless traveler and drove across the United States in her motor home alone and with family, twice seeing Yellowstone National Park. Jean visited her ancestor's Culp Hill farm, a prominent site during the Battle of Gettysburg. Jean also traveled with other family and married Robbie Hoggard in 2006. The pair made music together in Arcata and enjoyed the vibrant college studies, activities and the close-knit community of Arcata, CA. Robbie and Jean exulted in the open road, majestic vistas, and meeting people. The pair later moved to Modesto for the closeness of Jean's family who visited and supported the couple until Jean passed.

From Robbie Hoggard
July 7, 2016

It was my pleasure to share the last years of Jean's life as her husband. From the very beginning she accepted me for who I am and we had absolute trust in each other. Full of love, surprises and kindness I decided to be her partner because she began the process of helping me come out of my shell of self-doubt and shallowness. She accepted my offer to be with her forever at which time I discovered the depth of her talents and began a beautiful friendship with her adult children. We shared many many joyful experiences as I was filled with growth as a man. Many many fun times as our bond as one never allowed us to have anything but full trust in our love. I have decided to not try and "move on." I miss her and always will. My life is fullest if I keep her in it. She and her family have my love forever.

From Carol (Belef) Campbell
July 5, 2016

I am the 4th child of Jean. I have many memories of my mother... too many to write.But a few are: My mom loved the holidays, she took great care in purchasing gifts to please each child, Easter Egg hunts in our huge wild yard...where years afterwards, jelly beans could still be found in the fence crevices, under bushes, etc. When she was cooking in the kitchen I would come by and ask her to scratch my back--and she would unless extremely busy and she told me to scratch it on the wall - we had mahogany walls in our Eichler home in Mountain View. I remember once when she disciplined my sister and I (1.5 years older than I) for arguing, she sent us to our room TOGETHER until we worked it out. It didn't take us long to hug each other, laugh, and leave the room! She let me buy an "itsy-bitsy, blue and yellow polka-dotted bikini--because my sister Cathi said over the phone from the mall - it has an attached cover-up so her belly doesn't show. First time I dove into the water at a hotel, the bikini bottoms fell down!....And yes, it really was blue with yellow polka dots!