Peace Corps volunteer, teacher, therapist
Sophia Jean (Goginski) Mazepa, 83, died peacefully in Sarasota, Florida on July 30, 2024. Born on Oct. 6, 1940 in Hammond, Indiana, to Sophia (Bunchek) and Joseph Goginski, she grew up in Whiting, Indiana with her older sisters, Loretta and Patricia. After graduating from Clark High School, she attended Marquette University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English and Secondary Education. She earned a Master of Education from Indiana University Bloomington and a Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois Chicago.
She lived a life of service, working in the fields of education, social work, counseling and caregiving. She volunteered for the Peace Corps in 1963, serving in the Philippines, and returned afterward to teach English before traveling the world. Upon arriving home, she taught English Literature at Bishop Noll Institute in Hammond, Indiana, where she was also Dean of Girls. In 1971, Jean and Jim were married and raised their family in Oak Park, where she also started a private practice in family therapy. Her other professional pursuits included working at hospitals, nonprofit agencies, public nursing facilities and private institutions in the areas of gerontology and elderly care. She also served as director of Social Services for a respite center for the homeless and was a guest lecturer at Dominican University in River Forest.
In 2002, Jean and Jim moved to Sarasota to escape the frigid Chicago winters. An avid reader and lifelong gardener, the additional free time of retirement and year-round sunshine allowed her to enjoy these passions in her later years.
Jean was the wife of James Mazepa, to whom she was married for 52 years. She was the mother of Rana (Gabe) Adair and Stephen Mazepa; the grandmother of Taylor and Cole Spyksma and Chase Adair; the aunt of nieces Sharon (Ray) Laramie, Cindy (Bill) McGowan, Diane (David) Freeman and Michelle Thornburg, as well as many great-nieces and nephews.
Services will be private for close family in October, per her wishes. For those who would like to honor Jean’s memory, contributions may be made to Foundation Fighting Blindness, P.O. Box 45740, Baltimore, MD 21297-5740 or at donate.fightingblindness.org.