Our dear Jane passed away on Friday, December 2nd with her daughter Clare at her side and gently crossed over in peace and joy. As many of you know, she greatly anticipated the next life and was ready to go. Her gallant last months with us were a revelation. One of her last acts was to send her final Christmas letter to all of you, and your beautiful replies filled the last week of her life.
There will be more information from the family and a memorial service sometime after the holidays so we can give Jane the big sendoff she deserves. Till then, please feel free to use this site to send your condolences (by adding comments) and to share your memories of Jane. We are unable to respond to emails right now, but we will be reading your messages with thanks for all you meant in Jane’s remarkable life.
Until we are together: Please say for Jane the words she said to Clark when he passed away: Rest in joy! And may I add: Well done, Jane! Godspeed!
Jane’s daughter KD Burnett
What a joy it was to know Jane Emery and how richer my life has been for it.
ReplyDeleteI met Jane in 1984, just after graduating from Stanford (in English). It wasn't a great time for me, but meeting Jane truly helped to sparkle things up. I remember a glorious outing in 1984-85 to San Francisco that included a memorable lunch at Greens. This was when Jane said something that for me is equally memorable: she wanted to have a "signature piece" of clothing or an accessory, one that she could be known by. I believe that day she was trying on for the part a slim and elegant black leather belt with a beautiful clasp. It could easily have fit that bill.
A vivid memory: Jane and Clark in the backseat of my friend Ottavio's Jeep outside Florence on their honeymoon. It must have been 1987. We rode out to some remote location for dinner and had a splendid time. Jane sparkled again, teaching me (and anyone else who saw her and Clark together) that love is not just for the young.
More vividness about love: 1992 and I am back in the Bay Area during a respite from graduate school bringing with me a heavy, broken heart. A lunch with Clark and Jane in which Clark said simply, and so kindly, "He's an idiot." We must have spoken of Jane's work on Rose MacAulay that day, too, and I remember thinking: a life of the mind is one you can keep if you work on it.
I will only ever be able to aspire to what Jane (and Clark, too!) achieved with what seemed like such ease and naturalness: their grace, the joy they emanated at being in each other's company, the way they had of focusing on the perhaps tiny yet good thing you did and making you feel wonderful about it, how effortless--it seemed--it was for them to do just that: accentuate the positive.
Ellen Nerenberg
I first met Jane in one of her early Stanford travel literature courses - perhaps in about 1988 or so. We connected quickly during an office visit. We both went to the same high school! A few courses later (being one of the "Jane Groupies"), she and Clark and I began getting together for lunch nearly monthly. Our last meal together was in late September as we celebrated our joint birthdays at Dio Deka Greek restaurant in Los Gatos. We had a wonderful time! We laughed and ate and reminisced and marveled at the fabulous food.
ReplyDeleteI will miss Jane enormously. She not only taught me how to read literature (something this biology major never learned during lit classes in college) but how to live with joy, excitement, energy, and grace. She is my role model. Godspeed, Jane. Love, Judy
Dear Jane!
ReplyDeleteSince receiving Jane’s Christmas letter, so perfectly succinct and hopeful, we McKennas have been awash in celebrating and remembering the wonderful character and gifts of Jane Emery. While my mother Marj has known and cherished her for years, my sisters’ and my first direct gift from Jane was a transporting email, sent in April 2000, as my dad was dying. She shared stories of the friend she knew from their post-college, pre-WWII days in Chicago. The timing and detail of the memories delighted and moved us, and kicked off a wonderful new cross-generational, cross-country friendship.
On a recent visit in May, Jane met my niece, SB, and we went to dinner at her favorite seafood restaurant. We talked about politics, writing, Clark, the future. Her connection with SB was instantaneous and a marvel.
This morning, gratitude is the overwhelming emotion. Every contact with Jane filled the vessel, left a deposit of joy and hope that grew with interest (forgive the mixed metaphor!). It is hard to let such a being go, also foolish to think that she has left us. She has planted so much of herself in the lives she has touched and nurtured all these years. Even in dying—in her wonderful poem—she teaches and draws us close; a framework for living.
Godspeed Crazy Jane! All love to Clare, Kay, Tabor and Nana, your spouses and Jane’s grandchildren and GREAT GRANDCHILDREN! Our hearts break for you all. May your loss be lessened with knowledge of the peace and joy your dear mother and grandmother leaves in the world.
Barbara McKenna (and Marjorie and Connie)
Washington, DC
I met Jane at a graduate seminar when I was 23. She was in her early fifties, so witty and wise and learned. I thought: "This is what I want to be when I am all grown up." Forty years later I know that she would, indeed, be appalled at the thought that someone wanted to become her, for she embraced individuality at a time when women were lesser individuals. And that is her gift, for she spread warmth and kindness everywhere to anyone who would accept the embrace. Thank you for continuing to share her words and wisdom with us. And yes, Joy and Godspeed.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Maria
How could I not set aside this afternoon to look at photos of Jane and remember her, as I always shall? I have the gift of her friendship and the wisdom of her words to keep forever. We met when I was assigned to interview her husband and then, her for the paper where I am a reporter. Jane touched me in a way no one else will ever do. We shared the love of literature and fun and, after his death, meals at the restaurant where she and Clark spent many a romantic evening. It meant so much to me that she chose my company to revisit that special spot for the first time after he passed. I only wish I knew Jane earlier in my life, but am so grateful for the time I was able to know her. Love to you, Jane, and your family.
ReplyDeleteSuzy Paluzzi
Stanton Mellick,, Brisbane Australia, wrote:
ReplyDeleteDear Dear Jane,
Is it the hour and you gone from this friendship of forty years? You'll know the lines, you with your vast knowledge and kindliness. Favoured I was as friend in those far off days at Qld. University and favoured, too, in the rare calls I made in California. Rest in joy, Jane, our road enriched by your presence but poorer in your absence. We'll miss you.
We're sorry to hear of Jane's passing. She certainly lived a long, eventful, rich life. We didn't get the chance to know her well, but we admired her tremendously. And we're so grateful that she and Clark found each other again and were able to spend their last years happily together. Our condolences to her devoted family.
ReplyDelete-Lela and Bob Groom
What a loss. I am so sorry. Thank you for letting us know.
ReplyDeleteI treasure my memories of her Continuing Studies classes.
Jane was a wonderful inspiration to all whose lives she touched. I loved her Continuing Studies classes at Stanford and the joyful times we spent together outside of class. So much energy and vitality! It was a privilege to know her and she will be sadly missed by all. My condolences to her family whom she cherished.
ReplyDeleteLoving memories. Suzanne
I thought of Jane as being the embodiment of the perfect Second Grade School Teacher, given her facility for bringing out the best in her students. Finding such an encouraging, endearing believer in one's endless possibilities was extraordinary in adulthood. I will always remember Jane's enthusiasm and be grateful for having had the opportunity to enjoy the pleasures of her good company and her incisive mind. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteDear Jane,
ReplyDeleteYour daughter sent your Christmas letter, full of the élan and wit that were your trademark. Only you could joke about messing up a hospice timetable. Only you could lift a glass, wearing a stylish hat—a classy farewell from a classy lady.
I saved the letter, intending to respond when I returned from a trip to UCLA for medical issues, but sadly you left us before I could tell you how much I have appreciated your friendship over the years.
Long before I met you, I was Dr. Emery’s student, and I heard tales of the legendary Jane, the stellar student who preceded (and eclipsed!) all of us. When you and Dr. Emery married, I thought how perfectly you were matched—my favorite professor and his gifted wife. I never met you, but came to know and love you through your letters.
I will miss you both as will everyone who was touched by your kindness and wisdom. Your family’s loss is tremendous, but they have memories to last a lifetime.
I know you are with Clark and he is reading to you as only he can do.
Bless you.
Ginger Teague
Davie, FL
Just a quick test, as someone had trouble posting a comment.
ReplyDeleteRest in peace, Jane. You were a great lady and I will always have fond memories of you.
ReplyDeleteHow truly fortunate I was to meet such a wonderful person, even if it was only for an hour or two. Like every one she met, I too was taken in by her energy and spirit. It was a relief to learn that she passed with the grace that she wore so well. For those few hours I was smitten, and having met her granddaughter, feel secure in the knowledge that her spirit will always carry on. Thank you Jane. You made the world a better place.
ReplyDeleteIn 1987 my sister and I, in our late teens, visited San Francisco. We are from Brisbane, Australia, and Jane was a good friend of our mother. Jane had suggested staying at the Cartwright Hotel (now the Larkspur) on Union Square. For us teenagers, this Hotel was on the fancy side: it seemed snazzy and sophisticated and made us feel like adults. It was the week before Christmas and we met Jane and Clark in the lobby. What a day we had! We rode the cable cars, visited Alcatraz, went to a gallery, and in the evening we dined at a superb Italian restaurant before we took in a show downtown. The day was sunny and the conversation sparkled. In a taxi on the way to the restaurant we passed through a derelict part of town containing boarded-up houses, liquor stores, churches. It had gotten cold and dark and there was a lull in the conversation as we drove past a laundromat. Jane was in the front seat and after a moment she exclaimed loudly, raising her hands, "God bless the soul of every American spending Christmas in a laundromat!" I have never forgotten this, and will never forget it. God bless the soul of Jane Emery.
ReplyDeleteGeorge Oppel
Baltimore, MD.
From the moment I met Jane the first day of her freshman writing class at Stanford in the autumn of 1985... to our last exchange of Christmas cards in the autumn of 2011, she was one of the very best and warmest influences on my entire life. While physically, perhaps, she has departed, considering her impact on the way I think, write and view the world, as far as I am concerned, Jane has NOT left this life, nor will she be leaving anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteMichael Lyon
Culver City, CA
All: How lucky we were to know Jane Emery.
ReplyDeleteIn 1997, when I was newly arrived in California as a Knight Journalism Fellow, Jane rang me up and invited me to speak to her class about journalism. I happily obliged. She then invited me for lunch at Evvia (soon to become one of my favorite restaurants and the site of many family gatherings, including my in-laws 50th wedding celebration). As we ate and gabbed, I kept thinking ... this woman is amazing. I've never met anyone like her. How OLD is she? Well, you do the math.
As my career with the Stanford Journalism Program progressed, Jane always was interested. We stayed in touch. Then, a couple of years after our initial meeting, we discovered a new tie - one that spanned the generations. My good college chum, Connie McKenna, is the daughter of Arthur McKenna, one of Jane's "coming of age" friends. The McKenna girls loved hearing Jane’s stories of their Dad’s early life. When Connie and her sister Barbara came to town, they always made time to see Jane and Clark. I was lucky to get invited along for the ride.
I recall Jane’s 90th birthday party at the Faculty Club. Her joy in seeing everyone … her joy in receiving that beautiful, engraved crystal bowl... She was simply inspirational. What spirit! What a force. Leaving the party, I remember thinking: ‘This remarkable woman has shown me how to be!’
I feel very lucky to have known Jane Emery and count her among my friends. To her family: Please accept my condolences. Thank you for sharing Jane with us. - Ann Grimes
I met Jane Emery twenty years ago as a student at Stanford. She was teaching Expository Writing and I enrolled in her class to improve my writing. Little did I know that I would meet someone who would become through the years someone so dear to me and who would impact me so profoundly.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many stories I can share about Jane, but here are just a few:
When I began teaching elementary school she called me up and told me she would like to send me a poem she had written as she had begun her teaching career. I didn't last long in teaching and the next several years from a career standpoint were terrible. I went back to school to earn my masters in education policy and research only to find out I had invested an inordinate amount of money in the wrong field. From there I worked a series of unsavory corporate jobs, and was later laid off from a startup company which had almost completely unravelled. I called up Jane and remember trying to come up with a positive way to describe my litany of disappointments without sounding pathetic. Without even having a chance to start explaining why I was taking time off from work she said, "Aren't you relieved"? She knew it exactly.
Several years later I asked what she thought about me going to law school. I explained that perhaps I needed a professional degree so I could stop the job jumping and make a respectable income even though I didn't particularly like the field. "What do you think," I asked, hoping to arrive at a decisive answer. "I think you're wonderful," she wisely responded.
This October my husband and two kids (whose names she always remembered) and I went to visit Jane while we were were in the Bay Area. I did not realize then that she was dying though she did allude to the fact. She wowed us with what she called a "party" complete with toys, snacks, and balloons for the kids. You should have seen the speed at which she skidded down the hall while sitting on her walker! After a short visit and some pictures, and our goodbyes, I returned to the party room to look for a lost cell phone. On one of the tables my eyes fell upon a letter she had written to the fellow residents at her home: she was fundraising for one of the families there. Even in the last moments that I spent with her, as she was nearing the end of her life, she was so fiercely generous! This was so Jane Emery. My heart leaped at that moment at the beauty she embodies.
God bless you and cheers to you my dearest Professor Emery! May your legacy live on in all of us.
Patricia Tina Wu
Irvine, CA
A Celebration of Life for Jane will be held this Saturday at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Palo Alto, CA at 1 PM with a reception to follow. Please call me with any questions. All are welcome! Jane's daughter Kay 503-789-7643
ReplyDeleteSuch a bright star -- as bright as they get.
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky, having known Jane from the start. She was my mother's close friend, and when I arrived, she became my godmother. I've been dazzled and entertained ever since.
Irrepressible! Effervescent. Passionate, voluble, effusive -- always original, and never ever at a loss for words. What an inspiration!
So thank you, Alice Jane Dailey Novak Emery. Thanks for all those letters and birthday cards (in that unique script) sent; the family vacations, laughter, and zest for life shared; the stories told and the wise counsel given; and now for the vivid memories left.
Most of all, thank you, Jane, for showing us how.
Dan Allan
I am one of the many that "Dr.Jane's" life touched. I had gone to Pacific Gardens about two years ago to talk about our library's adult literacy program when I met her for the first time. I've never met anyone with the love of learning and the joy of living that I saw in her. She was passionate about books and felt strongly about the need to help adults in our community who struggled with limited language and literacy skills. She volunteered at the Valley Life Center each week helping adults improve their conversation skills.She led a book discussion for the library last year on Jack London's Call of the Wild. She belonged to the rare breed of people who know how to make someone feel special, even in a brief meeting. I am blessed to have known her.
ReplyDelete-Shanti
Jane wrote several reviews of Australian novels for me when I was reviews editor of Antipodes. I never met her in person but we corresponded frequently and she sent me a charming picture of herself and Clark who seemed a consummately happy couple. She was knowledgeable about many twentieth-century writers including those such as Rose Macaulay rarely paid attention to in standard accounts. I had lost touch with her in recent years and was sad to read in PMLA of her passing. But she had a remarkable life and contributed to so many people having more joy and insight into literature.
ReplyDeleteI just started reading a Eudora Welty novel, and immediately thought of Jane. I searched today on the internet, to find her, to say hello and send my best. I would have told her that I now have a 3 year old, who is witty and sassy, and reminds me of her!
ReplyDeleteI found this blog instead. I am greatly saddened and yet grateful to read how many other people loved and admired Jane. I took Jane's Eudora Welty extension course in 2003, just before getting married. I was working at Stanford at the time, and wasn't sure how much time I could commit. But I needed something to stretch my mind. It was the best class I've ever taken. Jane and I would often talk afterward, and she was convinced that I must be related to her husband, Clark, as we share the same last name (and my ancestors founded Emeryville).
I just went to find my notes, complete with my drawings and comments in the corner. Jane was a dame, if there ever was someone to fit the name. I loved her sass, her class, and the way she managed each session. Here are some of her best quotes:
"I plead the privilege of the podium."
"I just stand up here and flap my trap."
"You wear stiletto heals, and it only means one thing: you're going to have foot trouble when you're older."
I am lucky to have known her and will continue to smile every time I think of her. My best to her family, my very best.
--Katherine Emery