Jean Elsie Lister (nee Pearson)

LITCHFIELD, NH – Deacon Jean P. Lister, 91, passed away peacefully in her sleep at her daughter’s home in Litchfield, where she had resided for the past nine years.

Jean was born in Roxbury, MA, in 1934, along with her twin sister, Joan, to the late Joseph Keighley and Elsie Dewey (Goldthwaite) Pearson. Raised in Andover, MA, Jean attended Punchard High School, where her spirited nature earned her a reputation as a "tomboy." A lifelong lover of baseball, she spent her youth instructing the local boys high school in the game and harbored a dream of becoming the first professional female baseball player.

In 1951, Jean met Robert Milner Lister, and the two were soon married. They spent the early years of their marriage in Massachusetts and North Carolina before settling in Raymond, NH, in 1965 to raise their five children.

A woman of remarkable work ethic, Jean often held two jobs at once to provide for her family. Her career as a waitress spanned decades and states, including 12 years at Valley’s Steak House in Lawrence, 20 years at the Raymond McDonald’s, and 12 years at the Raymond Hannaford. Even in retirement, Jean’s industrious spirit never wavered; she kept busy with dog walking and pet sitting, unable to simply "lounge around."

Jean’s faith and community were the cornerstones of her later life. A proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (descending from Capt. John White), she was also a devoted member of the Litchfield Community Church Presbyterian. In 2016, she was ordained as a Deacon and took great pride in helping manage the church’s food pantry until her passing. Despite severe arthritis, she spent hours knitting beautiful items for the church’s Strawberry Festival and Craft Fair, always donating her profits back to the church. She found great joy in the simple pleasures: puzzles, dot-to-dot books, and dollar store shopping/lunches out with her beloved church friends.

Jean is survived by her five children: Jennifer Inese Kirlis (and her late husband, Herbert), Jean Louise Lister and husband Stephen Whipple, Betty Joan Franklin and husband David, Joseph Keighley Lister and wife Kim, and Robert David Lister and wife Erica. She also leaves behind her twin sister, Joan Keighley McNeill (and her late husband, Richard); 12 grandchildren: Robert, Dana, Chris, Stephen, Killian, Jessie, Joey, MaKayla, Tyler, Hayleigh, Patrick, and Robbie; 6 great-grandchildren: Kris, Kaci, Brittany, Destiny, Elleigha, and Zinnia; and 8 great-great-grandchildren: twins Taylor and Tyler, Ayva, Brianna, Henry, Haven, Barret, and Scarlett. She was predeceased by her granddaughter, Shayla Rose. She is also survived by a few nieces, nephews, and their families.

SERVICES: Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend a viewing on April 19, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, in the Fellowship Hall of the Litchfield Community Church Presbyterian, 259 Charles Bancroft Hwy, Litchfield, NH 03052. A funeral service will follow in the sanctuary, with a reception to be held afterward in the Fellowship Hall. A private family burial will take place at Raymond New Pine Crest Cemetery at a later date.

MEMORIAL DONATIONS: Jean requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Riverside Cottage Food Pantry (owned and operated by the Litchfield Community Church Presbyterian), 259 CBH, Litchfield, NH 03052.