Jeane Porter Hester M.D., 89, recently of Galveston, TX, passed peacefully into eternity December 24, 2018. She was born in Big Spring, Texas on June 15, 1929 with her twin sister June, to Bessie and Covey Porter. She grew up in Chickasha, OK with her sisters, and attended the Oklahoma College for Women, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in French. Jeane married Bob Hester, and moved to Oklahoma City where she worked as an assistant to Dr Welborn “Buck” Sanger, an ophthalmologist. Encouraged by Dr. Sanger, she then began her journey in medicine and graduated from the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine. After studying Internal Medicine and Hematology, she came to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for training in cancer, where she remained for an academic career in research for patients with hematological cancers. Jeane took care of patients, performed clinical research, supervised a research laboratory, taught fellows, participated in international exchange programs, traveled the world, lectured, and published. She was inducted into the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in 1976, the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1987. Her work in research with IBM led to the development of the IBM 2997 blood cell separator and the development of apheresis protocols used in the treatment of blood cancers.
While Jeane considered Houston her home, she had recently moved to Galveston to be near her son, and to enjoy the view of the Gulf of Mexico. She loved watching the sun reflecting off the gulf water.
Her family, and cooking, were her passion, and she will be missed very much. Jeane was preceded in death by her parents Covey and Bess Porter. She is survived by her son, Steven Elliott Hester and wife, Fern Hester, two grandchildren; Ann Elizabeth Eckermann and husband Christopher, Mark Williams and his wife Christine, five great-grandchildren, Ethan Caesar, Mackenzie and Kay Williams, Dylan and Kyle McMahan. She is also survived by her twin sister, June Busby, sister Joan Pope and husband Charles Pope, two nieces, Connie Spelce and husband Neal Spelce, and Pamela Davis, a nephew, Joel Busby and wife Sheila, two grand nephews, Ross Busby and wife Elizabeth, and daughter Karoline, and Conall Busby, wife Sarah and great-grand nephews, Clark and Gannon, and great-grand niece, Mary Grace. She also leaves behind her life-long treasured friends, Lyn Barr of Los Angeles, California, Ann Hester of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Nancy Freudenthal of Boerne, Texas.
As was her wish to be cremated, no funeral will be held. A Celebration of her Life will be held in Austin, TX and Edmond, OK with family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations made to The Brookwood Community, a non-profit residence facility and vocational program for adults with special needs. Please designate, “The Brookwood Medical Clinic, “ In memory of Jeane Hester M.D.” on the memo line. The Brookwood Community – 1752 FM 1489 – Brookshire, TX 77423