Jean Eleanor McFaddin (July 13th, 1942 - April 17th, 2018) was the former executive producer and director of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1977 to 2000.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
She first lead the Parade by 1977 and would instantly become a well-known icon to the lineup. Beginning from 1993 to 2000, she would be at center stage with an uptown host when starting the parade, mainly with Al Roker.
Jean officially retired as parade director in December 2000, in a joint retirement with chief designer and builder Manfred Bass. She was gifted a golden pair of scissors during her final time cutting the ribbon at the 2000 Parade as a token of gratitude for 24 magical years from all her friends at NBC.
Her last major involvement in the annual lineup would come around 2011. For the Parade's 85 year milestone, she took a ride on the new float titled "Hats Off to Our Heritage" along with another former producer, Robin Hall.
Months after her passing, a special tribute was presented during the 2018 Parade for the beloved Texas native with the hosts tipping their hats for their dear friend who will always be a very special member of the Parade team.