Jane Eyerly Kennedy died peacefully of natural causes at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care in Lebanon, NH early in the morning of Monday, March 28, 2022.

Jane Eyerly was born May 17, 1925, in New York City, the first child of Edwin Grone Eyerly (born September 13, 1895, in Danville, Pennsylvania) and Marion Schimpf (born December 20, 1899, in New York City). Jane had one sibling, a sister Susan, five years younger, who passed away in 1993.

Jane's first years were spent in Manhattan, but the family eventually moved to the commuter town of White Plains, New York, where they took up residence at 86 Davis Avenue. During the early years of the Great Depression, when there was not regular income, Jane and her mother went to live in Wellesley Massachusetts with her mother's sister, Viola. As the economy improved, however, they returned to White Plains and settled at 93 Ralph Avenue. Jane attended the local public schools and upon graduating from White Plains High, she matriculated at Syracuse University.

Jane entered the College of Liberal Arts where she majored in Political Science. She joined the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, which greatly enriched her life, and she participated in the sorority's many charitable programs. It was at Syracuse University that she met Warren Robert Kennedy, her husband to be. Warren, born in Rockville Center, Long Island, on October 13, 1923, was the second son of Harry Kennedy and Josephine Sherrer. After serving in the Army Air Corps, Warren took advantage of the G I Bill and enrolled in the College of Business Administration at Syracuse University.

Jane graduated in 1947 and found a position with the local telephone company where she worked in billing and new orders. Warren and Jane were eventually married at The Church in the Highlands in White Plains, New York, on June 15, 1948.

Upon graduation in 1949, Warren was hired by the J.L. Hudson Department Store located in downtown Detroit, Michigan; Jane became a full time homemaker and they began to establish a family. In 1950 Jill was born, the first of three children. In 1951 they returned to Syracuse where their second child, Scott was born. In 1955 Warren joined the J.C. Penney Company and the family moved to Garden City, New York. In 1960 Jo Ann Kennedy was born, and the family was complete.

The year 1965 was life-changing for Jane: her husband was made European Buying Manager for the J.C. Penney Company, and the family was moved to London, England. Overnight, Jane went from managing a quiet suburban commuter home to orchestrating a bustling city flat in the heart of a great city; she had to learn how to meet the many needs of the family in a foreign culture; to operate without an automobile; to find appropriate schools for the children; and to welcome visitors on a moment's notice. Jane embraced London life and refocused her time and energy to take advantage of the many riches that London provided; she was now able to travel throughout the continent and to engage the diversity of cultures that is Europe.

Jane had a talent for making friends with people from all walks of life, and this quality held her in good stead as she established a home in a new country. Her spirit was naturally generous and her thoughts encouraging. She presented a positive image to the world and people loved to speak with her. She held no prejudices and this helped her to grow her mind even to the end of her life. She wholeheartedly embraced art, theater, and music and became a lifelong supporter of the BBC. It was in London that Jane came to appreciate the singular habits of Siamese cats, and they became a regular part of her household for many years.

In 1970, J.C. Penney's European office was closed, a casualty of the booming Far East trade. Jane said a reluctant good-bye to her beloved city home, and resettled the family in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. However, the lure of London turned out to be stronger than anyone anticipated.  And when the opportunity to join a start-up corporation arose, Warren left the J.C. Penney Company and signed on as European Distribution Manager of the new Dimension Weld Corporation.

And so in 1972 the family again relocated to London and their second tenure turned out to be just as rewarding as the first—with one difference.  During their first London venture they had lived the entire time at Wellington Court in a flat overlooking Hyde Park; this time, their residence changed every year—Camden Hill Court, Astell Street, Albert Hall Mansions, Trevor Square. As a result they were able to experience many different neighborhoods of London, their shops, their pubs, and their local culture.

In 1976, after four very exciting years, the family returned to the U.S. and settled in Wilton, Connecticut. Soon thereafter Warren retired, and they moved their household to Norwich, Vermont—which had long been a favorite area of the country. From their first years together, Jane and Warren had regularly brought the family to vacation in the Green Mountains, first in Sharon, where they rented a cottage each summer, and later to Rochester where they eventually purchased a summer home (and where their daughter Jill was married).

After several years, the pull of cultural and historical community brought them to Williamsburg, Virginia, where they lived happily for many years. Jane continued to engage her mind and spirit. She listened to classical music every day and was a great reader. When her eyes became too weak to interpret text, she embraced audio books and came to enjoy the reader as much as, if not more than, the story itself.

When her husband passed away in April 2020, Jane was nearly 95, but her spirit was not settled. After much thought, she chose to return to New England, of which she was so fond. She settled in the Harvest Hill community in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Her last months were very happy. She loved her sunny bright apartment, the winter snowfalls, the colorful holiday lights in the trees outside her window, the sound of geese flying, and the view of the Green Mountains just across the river. Reflecting on her life during her final days, Jane would smile and say: "I love simple things."

Jane leaves behind her three children: Jill Marsceill, Scott Kennedy, Jo Ann Russell and their spouses: Michael Marsceill, Carole Dyal, and Morgan Russell; six grandchildren: Christopher Marsceill, Patrick Marsceill, Sam Kennedy, James Kennedy, Ben Kennedy, and Henry Russell; and many, many dear friends.

Jane Eyerly Kennedy passed away peacefully at 8:00 am in the morning with her three children at her side. Jane's remains will be cremated at  Knight Funeral Home in White River Junction, Vermont.