Jane Jarvis ’56 Pettengill

Jane Pettengill, daughter, wife, mother, aunt, great aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend passed away on Saturday, December 15 at the age of 84 at her home in Sarasota, Florida.

Jane is survived by her husband of 60 years, Charles Pettengill, children; Doty Hall (Steve), Amy Pettengill and Todd Pettengill (Carrie); grandchildren; Nathaniel Hall (Aimee), Amanda Schott (Tyler), Hayley Pettengill, Suk Fahnestock, Mae Fahnestock; great grandsons, Charlie Todd Schott and Henry Stephen Hall, nieces and nephews. She was pre-deceased by sisters, Virgina Relyea (Rulon), Vivian Jarvis and brother, Donald Jarvis.

Jane was born on October 21, 1934 in Glen Cove, Long Island to Edgar and Mabel Jarvis – the youngest of three children. She graduated from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. From a very early age, Jane knew that she wanted to be a teacher and often played school with neighborhood children. She taught first and second grade on Long Island and in Amsterdam, New York for over 30 years. Parents would often request that their children be placed in her class because of her reputation for being an excellent and devoted teacher.

On June 28, 1958 she married her college sweetheart, Charlie – they made their home in Hagaman, New York. Jane wanted to be remembered more for the kind of person she was, rather than for her accomplishments. She was the first woman on the Hagaman Board of Trustees, led the first Hagaman Girl Scout troup, was director of the Altar Guild and a long-time member of the choir at St. Anns church. She also served on the Library committee in Amsterdam and was a reader and chalice bearer at St. Boniface Church in Sarasota. But more importantly (to her) she was someone who put her family first, a woman who went out of her way to smile and speak to strangers, a woman who was concerned with the homeless, often carrying bags of food to hand out to those in need. Her ministry was sending greeting cards to those who were sick, shut in and lonely. She will be greatly missed, and always remembered for her profound contributions to her family, her community and the world in which she lived.