Mrs. Jane M. Whitney

Jane M. Whitney, 88, of Richmond died peacefully, surrounded by her family at her home on Sunday, August 13th. Jane was born on March 12, 1935, in Boston, MA, to the late Morris and Grayce McEldowney. She graduated from the American High School in Heidelburg, Germany, in 1952. After high school, she attended Strafford College in Danville, VA. Jane's father Morris was a Colonel and Chaplain in the US Army, and with the world at war during Jane's childhood her family traveled all over the US and Germany as an "Army brat." By the time Jane graduated from high school, she had attended 27 different schools since kindergarten. This nomadic upbringing undoubtedly made Jane the resilient and sociable person that she was, and she was always adept at making friends and getting involved quickly wherever she traveled or lived. She met John while he was stationed at Pease Air Force Base, in Portsmouth, NH, and they married in 1962. They treasured 60 wonderful years together, filled with adventure, family, travel, silliness, laughs, and love. John predeceased Jane on May 26, 2022. Jane and John spent most of the 1960s living in the Chicago area, where John finished his MBA and they adopted their first child (Mark). Toward the end of the 1960s, John's job transferred to New York City and they moved to Morris Plains, NJ. They adopted their second child (Susan) in 1968, and the whole family moved to northern NJ where they would settle until John's retirement. They initially lived in Ramsey, NJ and then moved to Upper Saddle River, NJ, in 1975. Throughout her years in northern NJ, Jane raised Mark and Sue while being involved in countless groups and organizations, including their local church. Jane took pride in running a welcoming household, where children and neighbors visited, played, ate and drank, and enjoyed memorable times together. The door was rarely locked and people rarely knocked - Jane always had an open door policy at the Whitney household. Jane cherished cooking for family and friends, and by the time of her death had accumulated 6 shelves worth of cookbooks, many comprised of handwritten recipes on index cards. Jane was also a creative type, who enjoyed needlework, quilting, painting, and crafting. As the kids grew older, Jane worked as a realtor and also was an office manager for a local business. During the period when Mark and Sue were in their teens and early 20s, Jane always held the Whitney house open for the friends of the kids to come over - many memorable events were held at the Upper Saddle River house over the years. From the 1960s through the end of the 1990s, Jane treasured all the family gatherings up at her parents' home on Governor's Island, in Lake Winnipesaukee, NH. Jane and the family spent every summer and many holidays at the lake house. She loved the social scene on the island, the countless cocktail parties with great friends, the crazy tennis tournaments, and the Sunday night fireworks across the bay at Weirs Beach. After John retired, Jane and John settled in the Berkshires in 2000, in their cozy home in Richmond on the west slope of Lenox Mountain where they lived until their deaths. Just as always, Jane made friends fast in the Berkshires, and she was active in the College Club, Embroidery Guild, a gardening club, the Lenox Club, and the Richmond Congregational Church. It was during her years in Richmond when Jane really devoted her time to crafting and stitching, or "stitching and bitching" as the sign in her sewing room proudly read! Jane so loved her life in Richmond, mostly for the simple pleasures of enjoying dear friends and watching the sunset over the Housatonic Mountains on the porch at cocktail hour. Jane is survived by her children; Mark M. Whitney (Deborah) of Marblehead, MA, and Susan H. Yehle (Gregg) of North Kingston, RI, grandchildren; Peyton, Jessica, Cameron, Jillian, Bailey, and Beckett; her sister; Anne Gallop of Ogunquit, ME, and her in-laws; Laurel M. Whitney (and her partner, Julie K. Roberts) of Phoenix, AZ, and Stephen Q. Whitney (Susan) of Port Charlotte, FL. The family held a graveside service on Friday, August 18, 2023, where Jane was laid to rest and reunited with John in the Richmond Center Cemetery. A memorial service will be held on Friday, November 24, 2023, at 1:30pm at the Richmond Congregational Church. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jane's memory may be made to the Cradle Foundation, at https://cradle.org/.

Mrs. Jane M. Whitney

March 12, 1935 - August 13, 2023