Jean Lucille Coffey Webster was born to parents Henry Jackson and Mary Fulton Coffey on March 30, 1915 in the village of Greenview, Menard County, Illinois. She had a twin brother, Robert Ellsworth Coffey, and an older sister, Marjory Bernice Coffey Sparks. In May 1934, she entered into the Union Hospital School of Nursing in Terre Haute, Indiana, where she earned her School of Nursing diploma on June 5, 1937. In 1938, she obtained a state of Indiana Nurse's License in Terre Haute. From 1939 through 1942, she was an undergraduate student at Indiana University's School of Education in Bloomington, Indiana, earning her Bachelor's of Science in Education degree on May 10, 1942.

Following her graduation, Coffey applied for commission in the Army Nurse Corps, though she was originally denied commission due to being 10 pounds underweight. After taking a few months off nursing work to gain weight, she received a commission of second lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps on December 20, 1942. In May 1943, Coffey transferred to Camp Bowie, Texas, where she was assigned to the 32nd General Hospital. This was a unit organized by faculty of the Indiana University School of Medicine. In September 1943, Coffey and the 32nd General Hospital Unit arrived in the United Kingdom, and Coffey served as nurse in the 32nd until June 1944. In July 1944, Coffey was transferred to the 104th General Hospital and appointed Principal Chief Nurse. She was promoted to rank of Captain in February 1945. In August 1945, Coffey reported for duty at the 134th Evacuation Hospital in France, where she remained until the troops returned to the United States in September 1945. After returning home and mustering out, Coffey remained in the Army Nurse Corps Reserves until 1953, though she was never called up for duty.

Upon returning to civilian life, Coffey entered into graduate studies at Columbia Teachers College in February 1946, where she studied nursing education. She earned her Master of Arts in Nursing Education degree on June 3, 1947.

In August 1947, Coffey was hired as assistant director to Director Mary Peacock of IU Training School for Nurses in Indianapolis. When Peacock retired in January 1948, Coffey became acting director. She served under the title of acting director for a year and a half before she was officially named Director of the IU Training School for Nurses in September 1949. During Coffey's time as director, the IU Training School for Nurses developed the four-year bachelor's degree program. The school also admitted the first African-American student, Anne Mitchem-Davis, during Coffey's tenure as director. Mitchem-Davis graduated in 1953. Coffey served as director until her resignation in June 1953.

In October 1953, Coffey married James William Webster of Charlotte, Michigan. After moving to Charlotte, located southwest of Lansing, Coffey Webster furthered her graduate studies in nursing education at Michigan State University. She later worked as a consultant for the Michigan state government, including the public health department and the Board of Nursing. She also taught Nursing Home Administration and Continuing Education at Michigan State University.

Coffey continued to keep in touch with some of her former students, particularly those in the class of 1951. The students of the class of 1951 established the Jean L. Coffey Webster Scholarship for the IU Nursing School in 2001. Jean attended several of the 1951 class reunions.

At some point prior to 1997, Coffey Webster and her husband moved to the Meadowood Retirement Community in Bloomington, Indiana, which was originally established as the IU faculty and administrator retirees' residential housing community. On April 26, 2001, in Bloomington, Indiana, spouse William Webster died. On April 13, 2003, Coffey Webster died in Bloomington, Indiana at the age of 88. She and her husband are buried in the Elmwood Cemetery in her original hometown of Greenview, Illinois.