Jane S. Whitmore, 102, passed away peacefully on Jan. 4, in Vestal, New York., at Willow Point Nursing Home. Jane lived in Guilford from 1983 thru 2017.

Jane was born in East Orange, New Jersey. She was predeceased by her parents, Dr. Benjamin Shackelford and Phoebe Shackelford; former husband John H. Whitmore; brother Richard Shackelford; and niece Martha Dennington; along with many beloved pets.

Jane is survived by her four children, Sara (Jim) Fitzsimmons, Jonathan, Christopher, and Jennifer Whitmore; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; a nephew Bruce (Teresa); and many relatives in Kansas and Ontario, Canada.

Jane graduated from Stephens College in 1941 and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1943. After working in New York City, she went back to college at the University of Kansas at Lawrence, doing graduate work where she met her future husband, John. Later, she returned to college and graduated with a teaching degree from SUNY Binghamton, New York and became a local educator before moving to Guilford in 1983 to work at Fine Violins LTD, retiring at age 82.

Jane was a lifelong cellist and a member of the original Binghamton Symphony, New York. Jane was also a founding member of the American Chamber Orchestra of New Haven, a member of the Civic Orchestra of New Haven, and assorted orchestral and chamber music groups. Jane traveled to Europe many times with the American Chamber Orchestra, performing in their concert tours.

Jane loved the outdoors and was an avid canoeist and camper. When her children were young, the family went on many canoe camping trips down the Delaware River and in the Adirondacks. She loved the Connecticut shoreline and could often be found paddling in the saltwater around the Guilford area.

Jane was a former member of Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church, Binghamton, New York.

Jane was a cat lover forever and was a fine photographer and artist. She was a longtime volunteer at Forgotten Felines Cat Shelter in Clinton. Jane was a lifelong Mets baseball fanatic and a UConn women’s basketball fan.

She dearly loved driving her stick shift V-8 hot rod cars.

Jane’s family would like to extend their sincere thanks to the staff on South 3 at the Willow Point nursing home. Everyone there worked very hard to care for Jane and make her comfortable. Also, thanks to the staff at the Guilford House who cared for her after her stroke in 2015, and her caregivers at her apartment, Bernice, Chanda, and Miriam.

There will be no services at this time. A memorial will be held later in the year in Connecticut at the convenience of the family. Anyone wishing to honor Jane’s memory can do so by making a donation to the AmericanChamberOrchestra.org, ForgottenFelinesCT.org, or Friends of Hammonasset Beach State Park (hammonasset.org).

We invite family and friends to share condolences, memories, and photos on the Memory Board section of the obituary, located at www.pressconnects.com/obituaries.