Jean Washburn Hernandez died on March 1 at her home in Essex. She was 93 years old. Born on September 20, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York, to Lawrence and Margaret Washburn, Jean was raised in Scarsdale, New York.

She graduated from Packer Collegiate Institute in New York City and attended Mt. Holyoke College. She married Silvio E. Hernandez in 1946. In 1958 they moved to Havana, Cuba; due to the Cuban Revolution, they fled in 1960, settling in Essex. She remained a resident of Essex for 54 years, serving on the Board of the Florence Griswold Museum and other charitable organizations.

Jean was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years. She is survived by her daughter Margaret (Maggie) Hernandez of Key Biscayne, Florida, and son Robert and his wife Laurie Hernandez of Essex.

A memorial service will be held May 2 at 10:00 a.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Essex. Memorial donations can be made to the Florence Griswold Museum, 96 Lyme St., Old Lyme, CT 06371.