Jane M. Jewell, 91, of Kirkland passed away Saturday, July 29, 2017 at her residence in an adult family home in Kirkland. She was born Jane Isabel Mcinnis June 24, 1926 in Columbus, Georgia, to Myrtle Cameron, a mathematician and William Henry Mcinnis, an electric company executive, both of Reno, Nevada.
Jane is survived by her husband of 64 years, James (Jim) L. Jewell, of Kirkland, son Jeffrey (Marilyn) Jewell of lssaquah, daughter Janet Jewell of Lake Cowichan, B.C., daughter Joanne (Rob Peterson) Jewell, of Vashon Island, WA, and daughter Jean (Duane Esty) Jewell of Seattle, WA. She has eight grandchildren, and one greatgrandchild.
Her first five years were spent barefoot, in Columbus, Georgia. Her family then moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, then five years later to Memphis, Tennessee. When thirteen in 1944, they moved to Tenafly, New Jersey, a commuter town for New York City, where she graduated from high school.
Jane attended University of Connecticut, then Barnard College in New York City where she completed a BA in Psychology. She earned her Master’s degree in Education from Columbia University, worked summers as a secretary, then was a teacher’s aide at an elite school in NYC. She once lent a Rockefeller child 15c to buy ice cream. She accepted a job in Tacoma, moved out west and taught high school psychology classes for five years.
She met her husband in “Y-Knots”- Tacoma YWCA/YMCA recreation club, along with meeting many of her lifelong friends. They were married in 1953 and moved to Seattle, then Kirkland in 1956.
Jane and her husband lived in the Kirkland Civic Center first floor apartment for four years, before building their home on Rose Hill. Jane went to work at the Stewart School for handicapped children and continued to work there when it became the Special Education Center serving about thirty years as a school psychologist for the Lake Washington School District.
Jane and Jim moved to Houghton in 1978 where they enjoyed hosting family events and gatherings at their swimming pool, and the view of Lake Washington. She loved to participate in book clubs and family sing-alongs.
In the Holy Family Catholic Church, Kirkland, Jane served on the Parish Council and School Board in the role of president. She also was on the Board of the Eastside Handicappers serving local handicapped adults. After retiring in 1990, Jane volunteered through HFCC with the Peace and Justice committee, and with her husband sponsored Bosnian refugee families, a long-term commitment. She was a faithful Catholic throughout her life and could be seen with her cane and walker in later years, attending mass.
Jane did a lot of good in the world through her life, with patience and a listening ear to offer any friend or family member. She will be missed by all who knew her.
