Along with her beloved brother Don, Jane grew up in New Britain, Connecticut during the post-Depression era. The household luxury was a piano. A more affluent neighbor (Janes’s best friend’s mother) arranged for Jane to take lessons which led to a lifelong career in music education.

Earning scholarships and playing for audiences wherever she could, Jane worked her way through Northfield Mount Herman School, New England Conservatory and Yale School of Music from which she graduated in 1952. She married Edward Stephen Clark immediately after graduation, taught at the Neighborhood Music School and at home, conducted music at church, became a superb skier and tennis player and raised five children for the next two decades. Then Jane really got to work.

Music therapy was gaining attention and momentum as a profession. A highly accomplished and well-educated musician, Jane was uniquely qualified to communicate with others through music. Thus she embarked on a thirty year career teaching developmentally challenged students, infants through adults, to move, to speak, to sing and to play on instruments and with each other. She was among the first fully certified music therapists in the country, a regular presenter at music education conferences and an esteemed and beloved teacher at the Connecticut schools where she taught.

Following the death of her husband Ted in 1987, Jane moved to Colorado to be near family. She continued to teach part-time, adding ESL literacy lessons to her repertoire, was active in church, competed in tennis and bridge and skied until she was 87.

In 2009 Jane made Keswick, Virginia home, with family. Her final chapter there was focused on loving and mentoring family and friends. She was a devout Christian, member of Church of Our Savior and two regular bible study groups. Prayer became her second language and she prayed for everyone. Jane looked forward to meeting her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with great anticipation! She is now at peace.

Jane is survived by her five children: Robin, Holly, Heidi, Terry and Tim; their spouses: John, Dave, Ned, Jean and Kelly Jo; seventeen grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

A memorial service for Jane will be scheduled at a later date.