Jane Canavan McDonnell

Jane Canavan McDonnell, age 87, passed away on December 20th, 2014 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She was born to parents Harry and Mary Canavan on March 19th, 1927 in Wilmington, Delaware. At age 9 she met her soul mate and future husband, Bernie McDonnell. They were married in Wilmington on September 9th, 1950. The couple then moved to Manchester, Connecticut where they lived for 21 years before moving to Jupiter/Tequesta, Florida in 1971. While in Manchester, Jane and Bernie were very active in both the community and their church. Bernie and she were one of the founding families in the formation of St Bartholomew's Catholic Church in Manchester. In Florida, Jane was a member of the Catholic Council for Women (CCW) at St. Jude Catholic Church, was actively involved in fund raising for the American Cancer Society, and was a dedicated member of the Loxahatchee Museum Guild. She was proudly a "Pink Lady" for the Jupiter Medical Center Women's Auxiliary where she volunteered every Tuesday for 25 years. During their 56 years of marriage, Jane and Bernie raised six children. Jane devoted her life to being a homemaker and proved to be exceptional in that very difficult role. She made many sacrifices to ensure that all of her children attended Catholic schools and the colleges of their choice. She and her husband also enjoyed traveling both domestically and internationally in their 56-year marriage. Jane spent the last 5 years of her life pleasantly in Illinois where she was able to spend more time with her daughter and where the central location allowed for frequent visits from her children all over the country. Predeceased by her husband, Bernie, she is survived by her six loving children: Michael of Anchorage Alaska; Tom (Mary) of Port Aransas, Texas; Kevin (Loreta) of Kennebunkport, Maine; Joan Sohl of Cool, California; Catherine Anderson (Dan) of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois; and Jim (Patricia) of Jupiter, Florida. She is also survived by 13 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, her sister-in-law (Patricia Davis), and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be on January 2nd from 6-8 pm at Taylor and Modeen Funeral Home at 250 Center Street in Jupiter, Florida. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Jude Catholic Church in Tequesta, Florida at 11:30 am on January 3rd. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimers Association (www.alz.org or 1-800-272-3900).

Jane Canavan McDonnell

March 19, 1927 - December 20, 2014