JEANNE NEFF
Jeanne Henry Kammer Neff of Willow Street, PA died on Monday, January 30, 2025 at the age of 82. Born in Fairmont, WV, daughter of Rebecca Jacqueline Ridgely and Percy Byron Henry, she was a graduate of St. Peter’s High School and Wheeling University and earned master’s and doctoral degrees from Rice University and Carnegie-Mellon University respectively.
She had a long and distinguished career in higher education including service as academic vice-pres- ident and later a trustee of Wheeling University. She was president of Russell Sage College (NY) from 1995 until 2008, when she and her husband Ed retired to their home at Deep Creek Lake (MD). From 2009-10 she was interim president of Garrett College and later chair of its Foundation board.
While in Wheeling she served on the boards of Wheeling Country Day School, the Wheeling chapter of the American Red Cross and the West Virginia Humanities Foundation and was a member of the Community Council of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
She is survived by her husband Edward Williams Stephens Neff II; her son Brian Kammer (Meltem Alemdar); stepdaughter Carrie Mitchell (William); stepson Edward W.S. Neff III (Tina); stepbrother Thomas Llewellyn (Sally) and family; nephews Scott Holly (Sandi) and Matt Holly (Steven Rowe); and “grands” Rachel and Wes Mitchell, and Will Neff. She was predeceased by her sister Rebecca Sue Henry Holly Meyer (Charles).
A celebration of Jeanne’s life will be announced shortly and will appear on Jeanne’s Memorial Page at www.TheGroffs.com.