Ajean Treat passed away peacefully on December 20, 2024. She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Orion F. “Budd” Treat, mother and father, sister Martha (Tornello) Benvenuti, brother-in-law Dr. Hansel Benvenuti. She is survived by sons Jim (Linda) Treat, Gary (Jeannie) Treat and Tom (Wayne Smalley) Treat, grandchildren Tim (Kayla) Treat, Emily (Nathan) Fox and Michael Treat, great grandchildren Camdyn Treat, Connor Treat, Liam Fox and Elijah Fox, and nephew Dr. David (Leanne) Benvenuti in Newport Beach, CA.
The youngest daughter of an Italian immigrant, Ajean (nee Angeline Jean Tornello) was born in Chicago, IL, on March 1, 1930, to Gennaro and Rose (DiGiovanni) Tornello. She often told stories of her modest upbringing in the Brighton Park/Archer Heights neighborhoods of Chicago: walking to church every Sunday, picking vegetables from the family garden, listening to her sister teach piano and voice lessons, and homemade pasta dinners with freshly baked bread. Her parents spoke Italian to each other but raised their children speaking English.
Ajean dedicated herself to children and child development, especially her own children and grandchildren. She received a bachelor’s degree with honors in Education from the University of Illinois in 1951 and later completed a master’s level Teaching Certificate from DePaul University in Chicago. This in itself was an amazing accomplishment as only about 1% of women in the United States earned a four-year college degree in the early 1950s. At Illinois, she pledged Theta Upsilon sorority where she shortened her signature from “Angeline Jean” to “A. Jean”. Her sorority sisters soon knew her simply as ‘Ajean”. While attaining her teaching certificate at DePaul, she taught high school in the Chicago Public School system. In addition, she worked part time at Marshall Field's State Street store where she eventually saved enough to purchase her wedding gown from the Field’s Bridal Salon.
She met her future husband, Budd, at a social mixer event at the Allerton Hotel on Michigan Avenue. They were paired up in a Treasure Hunt game where the first item on the list was a beer bottle. Clever Budd headed straight to the bar and ordered two bottles. Needless to say, they never got to the second item in the Treasure Hunt. Ajean later happily recounted the evening “I hated the taste but drank him beer for beer!”
The couple married on April 14, 1953, at St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Chicago and soon moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where Budd was stationed in the Navy. After the Navy, they lived in Chicago in an apartment downstairs from her parents as was tradition for newlyweds. Budd’s sales career moves took them all over the midwest including Arlington Heights, Illinois, Omaha, Nebraska, and Kirkwood, Missouri, until she finally told him “If you can sell for someone else, then you can sell for yourself!” They decided to launch their own business, settling in Budd’s hometown, Plymouth, Indiana, where Treat’s Squire Shop was born in 1965. While running a successful business, they built their family home on Manor Drive and raised their sons. In addition, Ajean worked as a first-grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary School from 1968 to 1972 where she was a nurturing and positive influence on the lives of many young students.
She was a dedicated mother who encouraged her sons to achieve with discipline and love. She spent endless hours driving them to sports practices, music lessons, and school activities. She was also a loving influence in the lives of her three treasured grandchildren and made sure they were well loved and always encouraged. One of her greatest joys was to live long enough to see all her grandchildren grow into amazing, thriving adults and meet her beloved great-grandchildren.
Ajean was very active in the local chapter of the Tri-Kappa sorority. Joining in 1967, she dedicated many hours to philanthropic work serving in various officer roles, attending state conventions, and attending functions as a member of the Tri-Kappa Associates group into her 90s. She also volunteered as a member of the St. Joseph Hospital Auxiliary giving hospital tours to groups of school children. She and Budd were long-time members of the Plymouth Country Club and spent many summers enjoying Pretty Lake with family and friends. She will be greatly missed by family, friends, and community.
A private family memorial service will be held to celebrate her life. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Plymouth Public Library, Ajean Treat Memorial Fund to support children’s reading programs, 201 N. Center Street, Plymouth, IN 46563.
Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. Condolences can be left for the family at www.johnson-danielson.com
