The following is a submitted obituary. The Mendocino Voice welcomes obituary submissions and publishes them free-of-charge for any North Coast resident or family. Contact us at info@mendovoice.com.
Jane Person died June 19, 2024 at her home in an accidental fall on the stairwell as she was going to bed. Jane was 82. She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Bruce Person, her brother in Florida, Robert Cannon, nephews Michael Cannon of Walnut Creek and Robin Cannon of Vermont, and brother-in-law Stephen Person of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Jane lived from ages one to nine in Venezuela with her parents in a Standard Oil town of Caripito. As a young child she loved to sneak past the guards of the fenced American enclave to play in the jungle. The family later moved to Atlanta.
Jane had a full life of public service. She graduated from Duke University in 1962 and a year later from Emory University with a Master’s degree. She moved to San Diego to teach high school English, English as a second language and various literature courses for the next 35 years at San Diego’s Patrick Henry School.
Upon retirement, she and her husband Bruce moved to the Fort Bragg area of Mendocino County. For nearly nineteen years Jane was active in more than 20 different social and public service groups. She was the inspector for the Mendocino precinct for elections, President of the League of Women voters, as well as the grader and leader for Study Club student grants. She participated in the Mendocino Land Trust and the Fort Bragg Library as well as being a docent of the Kelly House Museum and dressing up in period pieces as part of the Blue Stockings group. Jane also helped with visiting Opera singers, the Music Festival and Symphony of the Redwoods and was a financial supporter of KQED Public Television. She manned a serving booth at the annual Salmon Restoration BBQ and fundraiser and was a Judge and Presenter for the Mendocino Coast Writers group, an active member of the Coast Democrats, and a Duke University alumni interviewer for potential new students.
She participated in a number of activities at the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse as well as many activities of the Mendocino Botanical Gardens. She enjoyed opera and took Road Scholar trips to Europe as well as in the United States. With her family and friends and all her students, our loss is profound. It is suggested that any donations go to the American Cancer Association.
Her memorial has been scheduled for September 28 from noon to 4:00 pm at the Caspar Community Center. All are encouraged to attend.