Obituary of Jean Margart Buchanan Smith Moure

Jean Margaret Buchanan Smith was born to Charles Millican Smith and Marion Armstrong Smith in Glasgow, Scotland on July 20, 1931. Following a long illness, she passed away peacefully in Carmel, California on November 6, 2015 surrounded by her loving family. Raised in Northampton, England, Jean followed in the footsteps of her mother (a pediatrician) and her father (a Medical Officer of Health) and completed her medical degree at the University of London, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine. She served as a house physician at The Hampstead General Hospital, The Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital, and Nottingham General Hospital. During her studies, she met a young Spanish doctor, Antonio Moure, who swept her off her feet and convinced Jean to emigrate with him to the United States to continue their medical residencies and establish their respective practices. Arriving in Houston in June, 1958, Jean undertook her neurology residency at Baylor Medical School in Houston and trained at Jefferson Davis Hospital. In her subsequent years of private practice as a neurologist, Jean specialized in convulsive disease, electroencephalography, and sleep disorders. She published several research studies as both lead and co-author in the Archives of Neurology and the Journal of Clinical Electroencephalography. She served as head of the EEG departments at both Park Plaza Hospital and the M.D. Anderson Hospital. Jean and Tony married on February 28, 1959 at St. Joseph's Church in Houston and set off on a driving honeymoon in a Morris Minor car that was the wedding gift of Jean's British relatives. The couple joked that they spent their honeymoon in Biloxi, Mississippi because - true to British automotive form - "that's where the car broke down." Many extraordinarily busy and successful years ensued as Jean and Tony established their medical practices, she as a neurologist and he as a neurosurgeon, and had three children: Carmen, Charles, and Arthur. Due to the difficulty and expense of transatlantic travel at the time, Jean and Tony were not able to return to their native homes for many years, eventually making their first visit to their parents about ten years after they had left, with three small children in tow. Throughout the years of her career and into retirement, Jean was an enthusiastic participant in all that life offered. She remained physically active playing tennis and golf, mentally acute through competitive contract bridge, and socially engaged through a love of reading and many deep and lasting friendships. Her four grandchildren learned the joys of British tea time from their beloved Mama Jean, and she fostered with each of them a strong connection and interest in their lives as they have grown up. Faced with an uncertain medical diagnosis at a relatively young age, Jean (with the assistance of Tony) applied extraordinary determination to seeking out treatments, including a liver transplant in 2003, eventually enjoying many more years of active life than first believed possible. In 1991 Jean and Tony retired and began to spend part of the year in Carmel, California. They were members of the Monterey Peninsula Country Club where, on December 27, 2013, Jean achieved a hole-in-one. They divided their time during their retirement between Carmel; Houston; La Coruna, Spain; and Seattle with regular visits to London. Jean is survived by her loving husband of 56 years Antonio; children Carmen (John) Knapp of Houston, Charles (Helen) Moure of Seattle, and Arthur Moure of Carmel; and grandchildren 2nd Lt. Jonathan Winston Knapp USMC, Thomas Anthony Knapp, Cecilia Moure, and Isobel Moure. She is also survived by her brother, Alan (Liz) Smith of Birmingham, England. The family wishes to acknowledge those who ably assisted in Jean's care over the last few years: especially her son Arthur; Bok Hee Kim; Jessica Aguilar; and the attentive and caring medical staff at Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula. The family also offers their profound gratitude to the family of Jean's liver donor, whose generous gift provided her an additional twelve years of life, and the opportunity to witness the coming of age of her grandchildren. A vigil, presided by Fr. Scott McCarthy and Fr. Emil Andrew Robu, was held at Mission Mortuary in Monterey, on November 6th. Funeral mass will take place on Friday, November 20th at 2:00 p.m. at Holy Rosary Church, Houston. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Jean's memory to the Neurology Gift Fund, Baylor College of Medicine, Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations, One Baylor Plaza, MS160, Houston, TX 77030.