Jane Connors McKenney

A dedicated elementary school teacher and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Jane Connors McKenney died peacefully on January 25, 2026 at the age of 98.

Jane was the third of four daughters born to William J. and Catherine (Lynch) Connors in Danbury, CT on May 16, 1927. From her father, a musical prodigy who began a more than sixty-year career as a Catholic church organist while in his teens, she gained her love of music and the arts. From her sharp-witted mother she gained her wry sense of humor, her lifelong love of reading, and a remarkable ability to cook, can, preserve and bake. Along with her accomplished sisters Anne, Kay and Claire, she found her passion and joy in these pursuits. 

A lead actress in high school and self-described clumsy cellist, Jane graduated high school in 1945 after seeing many of her classmates, including her future husband, leave school during their senior year to fight in World War II. A staunch believer in the endless value and power of education, she earned both her Bachelor's (1947) and Master's (1950) degrees from what is now Western Connecticut State University, where she continued to enjoy prominent acting roles.

Jane began her successful and rewarding career as a grade school teacher in Westport, CT for two years. On June 30, 1952, she married the love of her life, Jack McKenney, also from Danbury and with whom she shared numerous connections. Their total and endless devotion incredibly led to more than 73 years of happiness and wedded bliss. 

After an overnight honeymoon in New York City, Jane and Jack settled in Martinsville, VA where Jane taught and Jack worked for DuPont manufacturing. They welcomed the birth of their daughter Claire in 1953. Wanting to be close to family, they returned to Danbury in 1957, and Jack began a long career in telecommunications with the Southern New England Telephone Company. They welcomed their son Bill in 1962. Jane taught fourth grade at the Fairfield Country Day School until the family moved to West Hartford, CT in 1969, where she taught for several more years full time and as a substitute. 

In 1970 Jane and Jack built a cabin in the woods near Lake Horace in Weare, NH, where they spent much of their time for more than 30 years. Jane loved spending time with Jack bird watching, walking in the woods, swimming laps in the lake while wearing her bathing cap, sailing, and canoeing. Five o'clock sharp cocktails with dear friends occurred most evenings. 

A job opportunity with AT&T took them to Atlanta from 1978 to 1980, before returning to Connecticut prior to Jack's retirement and their move to Fearrington Village, NC in 1985. In the warmth beneath the whispering pines Jane took an increased interest in gardening and horticulture and became quite proficient at both. She and Jack took numerous cruises and trips abroad. 

Jane was thrilled when her dear sister Claire and husband Henry moved just down the street in the late 80s. She delighted in having them so close and the couples spent countless evenings and holidays together. Jane was a voracious reader- throughout her life she fully utilized every library and bookstore within close proximity. She and Jack would read and swap books, then engage in lengthy conversations about their merit. Jane claimed to be one of the longest uninterrupted subscribers to The New Yorker magazine, from the age of 17! She dove in to the lengthy essays and found endless joy in the cartoons.

Like her husband, Jane was blessed with the gift of years and enjoyed a long and extraordinarily healthy life. She was predeceased by her three beloved sisters and their spouses Anne (Oliver), Kay (Tom) and Claire (Henry). She leaves her two children, Claire (Jim) of Ipswich, MA, and Bill of Pawleys Island, SC, four grandchildren (Leah, Aaron (Olivia), Jack and Lila) and a great granddaughter (Rose).

A memorial service is pending.