The obituary, shown below, was copied from
https://www.barrancofuneralhome.com/obituary/jane-donnelly
(it may or may not still be available there)
Jane B. Donnelly
June 7, 1927 - July 25, 2023
Born to a farming family in West Grove Pennsylvania in 1927, Jane Brackin was a hard-working young woman who excelled scholarly and musically, earning an academic scholarship to Ursinus College and playing piano and violin in the local symphony. While attending college, majoring in Math and Physics, Jane met the love of her life on a blind date, a World War II Navy veteran and Villanova student, Jim Donnelly; their union lasting 73 years. Jim and Jane were the parents to Jim (Denise) and Mary. Grandparents to Erin Cochran (Bobby), Dan Stevens (Annie Nguyen) and Greg Tsalikis (Kristen Gaetke). Great Grandparents to Penelope Jane & Asher Van Nguyen-Stevens, and Rory Emmett Cochran.
Professionally, Jane secured a junior executive position at Curtis Publishing immediately after graduating college. There, she worked as an Industrial Analyst until shortly before the birth of her beloved son, Jim. In 1960, she was recruited by the Mother Superior of St. John the Evangelist Elementary School to finish the academic year teaching the second grade. Never one to turn down a request from Mother Superior, Jane finished that year, as well as another 20 subsequent years teaching the sixth grade. Jane retired from teaching in 1981 after cancer took her only son.
She then focused on spending time with her husband Jim, traveling on numerous cruises and genuinely enjoying each minute they had together. She and Jim loved spending time with their grandchildren, Erin, Dan, and Greg. Whether it was watching their baseball games, dance recitals or music performances, Jim and Jane were always in the audience and/or crowd rooting for them. They took tremendous pride in each of the grandchild’s accomplishments, and later, in the good and caring adults they had become. As great grandchildren came, they watched them grow, thoroughly enjoying the time they had with them. Up until her death, Jane relished seeing and hearing from her daughter-in-law, grandchildren and great grandchildren, dear friends, and, of course, her past students. Jane frequently experienced extraordinary fulfillment upon receiving news of each of her students’ academic, personal, and professional accomplishments.
Jane was preceded in death by her husband, Jim in February of 2021. She is survived by her daughter, Mary with whom she lived. A Mass of the Christian Burial will be held at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church on Monday, August 14, 2023 at 12:00 noon. A livestream video of the mass will be available at the following link: Livestream Memorial Mass for Jane Donnelly
Jane will be laid to rest alongside her beloved husband in a private inurnment ceremony at the Maryland Veterans Cemetery in Crownsville, MD. In lieu of flowers, Mary is requesting that donations be made in Jane’s name to St. John the Evangelist Elementary School. Please use the following link and in the note section please specify: "In memory of Jane Donnelly" : https://www.stjohnspschool.org/giving/