Jane Jackson

Jane Elizabeth (Delmar) Jackson of Portage, Michigan, passed away on June 28, 2024, at the age of 93. Jane was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 8, 1931, to the late Victor and Dorothy (Matern) Delmar. As a young girl, she moved with her family to Kalamazoo, where she lived for most of the rest of her life. In her late teens, she worked as a nanny in a house next to the Jackson family. She met the oldest son of the family, Glenn, when he offered her a ride to school. They began dating, and in 1952, they married. They had three daughters and were married for 52 years until Glenn's death in 2004.

While dating Glenn, Jane worked at Michigan Bell as a telephone operator, quitting this job when the children arrived. Then, when the young children were in school, Jane also returned to school to study bookkeeping at Parsons Business College. Using her new skills, she held positions in various accounting departments, most notably at Kalamazoo College and Union Camp, until her retirement.

Jane was an intelligent woman with a vivacious personality and a quick wit. Her many hobbies reflected those qualities. While working at Michigan Bell, a friend invited her to a bridge group. This became a lifelong passion, going to weekend tournaments and belonging to several bridge clubs. Many of her close friendships were started through their shared love of bridge.

Jane taught herself how to sew, and she became an accomplished seamstress. She made most of her own clothes and beautiful dresses for her young girls, including a few mother/daughter dresses. If there was a special dress needed, she went looking for that perfect pattern and just the right fabric.

In her middle years, Jane decided to fill in the academic gaps she felt she had and became an avid reader. She then took pen in hand and the result was a multitude of poems and stories created from the relationships and experiences of her life, even compiling many of them into a book. Also, during this time, Jane joined a clogging group, which performed at various events and once in Bronson Park. She loved dancing and even danced to Led Zepplin on her 90th birthday! Always staying active, Jane enjoyed a good walk. However, it was cycling she loved best. She could be seen riding her three-wheel recumbent bike on MANY trails throughout Portage, Kalamazoo, and beyond, including the Kal-Haven trail to South Haven. The summer of her 91st year, she rode about 900 miles! To all the people involved with her in these hobbies, Jane was known for her quick wit and laughter. She loved to laugh and loved even more to make others laugh. She spread her joy around, always just wanting to have fun.

Jane is survived by her daughters, Susan Hills and Patricia (Philip) Bell; son-in-law, Michael Lynch; grandchildren, Nathan Hills, Heather Wilcoxson, Aaron Hills, Sean Bell, Elizabeth Bell, and Katherine Bell; and great-grandchild, Caleb Wilcoxson. She is also survived by her sister's children with whom she had close relationships: Ruth Dollins, Dale Wilkins, Christine Rogers, Judy Morgan, Nancy Allen, and Steve Wilkins.

Jane was preceded in death by her beloved husband; her parents; daughter, Dr. Lisa Jackson Lynch; sister, Dorothy Wilkins; and nephew, Delmar Wilkins.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Portage Zhang Senior Center, 203 E Centre Ave, Portage, Michigan 49002, on July 20, 2024, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Memorial contributions may be made in Jane's honor to the Portage Zhang Senior Center. To leave an online condolence, please visit https://www.langelands.com.