Jane G. Deathe

Jane Garrett Deathe died on the 15th of November at her home in Ithaca, New York after a brief battle with lung cancer. She was 68.

She is survived by Murray, her husband of 47 years, and her three children, Catherine Littell, Barbara Deathe and Sandra Buchanan. Jane is also survived by four adoring grandchildren; Chloe and Marcus Littell and Jesse and Jane Buchanan. Jane will also be missed by her sister and brother-in-law, Ruth and Jack Gilmour, and her two sons-in-law, Eliakim Littell and Jason Buchanan.

Jane's life touched many others. Although hundreds of miles separated her from her family in Canada, she took great care to maintain a close relationship with the many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends that remained in her native country.

But Jane's home was Ithaca and it is in that place that her death will be felt most. Beginning as a secretary in 1979, Jane worked at the Cornell Law School for 26 years until retiring as Director of Financial Aid. Both she and Murray also became adoptive parents to a raft of young people who needed a home-cooked meal or a warm bed.

Retirement did not mean that Jane stopped working. Instead, Jane dedicated herself to volunteering with the P.E.O. Sisterhood, an organization dedicated to fostering women's and girl's education locally and worldwide, and the Salvation Army, where she put as much care into choosing Christmas gifts for needy children as she did for her own family and friends.

If there is a theme to Jane's life it is that she saw to it that people in need received the help they deserved. Jane's greatest joy was to make others happy.

A memorial service will be held at Sage Chapel, Cornell University at 2:00pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Salvation Army, 150 N. Albany St. Ithaca or Hospicare, 172 E. King Rd. Ithaca.