Obituary for Jane Green Vodrey
Longtime Fredericktown resident Jane Green Vodrey died in Naples, Florida after a short illness on Friday, December 31st, 2021.
Jane Webster Green was born on March 15th, 1935 and reared in Elizabeth, New Jersey, a daughter of Richard Fisher Green and Margaret Webster Green. She graduated from Battin High School in 1953 and from the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts in 1956. She lived in Europe off and on before meeting Jackman Stroud Vodrey via mutual friends connected to Princeton University, from which both their fathers had graduated in 1926. Engaged within two weeks of having met in May 1958, Jack and Jane were married three months later in Elizabeth on August 30th, 1958.
Jack and Jane lived in New Jersey for his final two years at Princeton University and the birth of their daughter Sarah. From there they moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan for Jack's three years of law school at the University of Michigan and the birth of their daughter Catherine. The Vodreys returned to East Liverpool in 1963 and moved into the Park Boulevard home built by Jackman's grandparents in 1909. While Jack joined his father in the law practice founded by his grandfather in 1897, Jane was a homemaker and stay-at-home mother to their three children Sarah, Catherine and William. Jane had a formidable green thumb and in her home greenhouse, dozens of plants thrived under her care. Despite suffering from fur allergies, she loved animals. At different points in time, the Vodreys had a series of dogs and cats, two turtles, a rabbit, two parakeets and nine guinea pigs (which had started out as two guinea pigs, both supposedly male).
Jane put her considerable artistic talents to use designing hand-painted and silk-screened cards and Christmas decorations. Jane was in the third generation of five generations of artists on her mother's side. She was an avid and talented seamstress. In addition to sewing her own silk peau-de-soie bridal gown and those worn by her five bridesmaids, she later made her daughters' bridal gowns, as well as many of her children's and grandchildren's Halloween costumes over the years. She designed and needlepointed Christmas stockings for all seven of her grandchildren.
Despite having had no architectural training, Jane had a great eye and strong, well-thought-out opinions. This enabled her to design, on her own, the Fredericktown creekside home she and Jackman built in 1972. Their home incorporated a beautiful half-circle fanlight window. The window had formerly graced the front entrance of East Liverpool's Central School Building, which was being razed as their home was being built.
Jane had the world's best laugh, and she never met a stranger. Her talent at reaching out and including others was best exemplified via having hosted, with Jackman, 22 exchange students from all over the world over a period of about 15 years. Most beloved of these was Yuko Takebayashi, from Kagoshima, Japan, who made many trips back to visit Jackman and Jane, and to attend family weddings and East Liverpool High School reunions.
Throughout her adult life Jane watched out for and included elderly women who had no family nearby, inviting them to holiday meals and driving them to church and doctor's appointments. She was a loving and conscientious longtime caregiver to Jackman's cousin Alma Vodrey Taylor and to Evelyn Stroud Vodrey, Jane's mother-in-law. Her outgoing and inclusive nature manifested itself in Jane's flair for sales. She fondly remembered her work at the Princeton Decorating Shop in Princeton, New Jersey and at Sarah's local bookstore, Best Books First. Jane also spent several years in the 1990s as a traveling representative selling luxury ultrasuede clothing in the tri-state area and in Florida.
Jane was extraordinarily well-traveled and Florence, Italy was her favorite city. Jackman and Sarah were both Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh members for many years, and Jane accompanied them on multiple MCP European choral tours. With no personal talent for singing, Jane designed her own nametag as "Designated Listener." She loved dancing, horseback riding, swimming, playing bridge and tennis and entertaining family and friends.
Along with Jackman, Jane was active in a wide range of charitable and community organizations. Among many other worthy causes, the Vodreys supported Baldwin Wallace University's Bach Festival; the East Liverpool-Fawcett Community Foundation; the East Liverpool High School Alumni Association; the local branch of Kent State University; the Little Beaver Creek Wild and Scenic Rivers Council; the Museum of Ceramics Foundation; the Riverview Cemetery Association; and the Tri-State Area Tuition Mission Foundation, of which Jackman has served as president since 1985. Chief among Jane's solo community contributions were volunteering at East Liverpool City Hospital via the hospital auxiliary, serving several years as president; Hospice of the Valley; Meals on Wheels; and the Ohio River Art Gallery. She was a longtime member and past president of the Child Study Club and the Colonial Club.
Jane and Jackman were both cradle Episcopalians. They were active members of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in East Liverpool for 58 years.
Jane is survived by her loving husband of 63 years and by their three children: Sarah Webster Vodrey (Jeffrey Eric Hendrickson), Catherine Stroud Vodrey (Stephen William Huba) and Judge William Franklin Boyd Vodrey (Susan Carnahan Vodrey). She is also survived by her sisters Wisher Barthelman and Sarah Soderlund; her brother Douglass Green; her sisters-in-law Mary Lou Green and Dolly Vodrey Stamat; grandchildren Julia Hendrickson (Anthony Creeden), Valerie Hendrickson (Adithya Jayakumar), Henry Klein, John Vodrey, Lillian Klein, Ethan Vodrey and Thomas Vodrey; and step-grandsons Jacob Huba and Gregory Huba. She was pre-deceased by her parents and her brother Jim. A wide circle of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends survive her as well.
In 2000, the Vodreys' three children established the Jackman Stroud Vodrey & Jane Green Vodrey Scholarship to honor their parents. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to this scholarship at the Tuition Mission Foundation, P.O. Box 458, East Liverpool, Ohio 43920. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Jane Webster Green was born on March 15th, 1935 and reared in Elizabeth, New Jersey, a daughter of Richard Fisher Green and Margaret Webster Green. She graduated from Battin High School in 1953 and from the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts in 1956. She lived in Europe off and on before meeting Jackman Stroud Vodrey via mutual friends connected to Princeton University, from which both their fathers had graduated in 1926. Engaged within two weeks of having met in May 1958, Jack and Jane were married three months later in Elizabeth on August 30th, 1958.
Jack and Jane lived in New Jersey for his final two years at Princeton University and the birth of their daughter Sarah. From there they moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan for Jack's three years of law school at the University of Michigan and the birth of their daughter Catherine. The Vodreys returned to East Liverpool in 1963 and moved into the Park Boulevard home built by Jackman's grandparents in 1909. While Jack joined his father in the law practice founded by his grandfather in 1897, Jane was a homemaker and stay-at-home mother to their three children Sarah, Catherine and William. Jane had a formidable green thumb and in her home greenhouse, dozens of plants thrived under her care. Despite suffering from fur allergies, she loved animals. At different points in time, the Vodreys had a series of dogs and cats, two turtles, a rabbit, two parakeets and nine guinea pigs (which had started out as two guinea pigs, both supposedly male).
Jane put her considerable artistic talents to use designing hand-painted and silk-screened cards and Christmas decorations. Jane was in the third generation of five generations of artists on her mother's side. She was an avid and talented seamstress. In addition to sewing her own silk peau-de-soie bridal gown and those worn by her five bridesmaids, she later made her daughters' bridal gowns, as well as many of her children's and grandchildren's Halloween costumes over the years. She designed and needlepointed Christmas stockings for all seven of her grandchildren.
Despite having had no architectural training, Jane had a great eye and strong, well-thought-out opinions. This enabled her to design, on her own, the Fredericktown creekside home she and Jackman built in 1972. Their home incorporated a beautiful half-circle fanlight window. The window had formerly graced the front entrance of East Liverpool's Central School Building, which was being razed as their home was being built.
Jane had the world's best laugh, and she never met a stranger. Her talent at reaching out and including others was best exemplified via having hosted, with Jackman, 22 exchange students from all over the world over a period of about 15 years. Most beloved of these was Yuko Takebayashi, from Kagoshima, Japan, who made many trips back to visit Jackman and Jane, and to attend family weddings and East Liverpool High School reunions.
Throughout her adult life Jane watched out for and included elderly women who had no family nearby, inviting them to holiday meals and driving them to church and doctor's appointments. She was a loving and conscientious longtime caregiver to Jackman's cousin Alma Vodrey Taylor and to Evelyn Stroud Vodrey, Jane's mother-in-law. Her outgoing and inclusive nature manifested itself in Jane's flair for sales. She fondly remembered her work at the Princeton Decorating Shop in Princeton, New Jersey and at Sarah's local bookstore, Best Books First. Jane also spent several years in the 1990s as a traveling representative selling luxury ultrasuede clothing in the tri-state area and in Florida.
Jane was extraordinarily well-traveled and Florence, Italy was her favorite city. Jackman and Sarah were both Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh members for many years, and Jane accompanied them on multiple MCP European choral tours. With no personal talent for singing, Jane designed her own nametag as "Designated Listener." She loved dancing, horseback riding, swimming, playing bridge and tennis and entertaining family and friends.
Along with Jackman, Jane was active in a wide range of charitable and community organizations. Among many other worthy causes, the Vodreys supported Baldwin Wallace University's Bach Festival; the East Liverpool-Fawcett Community Foundation; the East Liverpool High School Alumni Association; the local branch of Kent State University; the Little Beaver Creek Wild and Scenic Rivers Council; the Museum of Ceramics Foundation; the Riverview Cemetery Association; and the Tri-State Area Tuition Mission Foundation, of which Jackman has served as president since 1985. Chief among Jane's solo community contributions were volunteering at East Liverpool City Hospital via the hospital auxiliary, serving several years as president; Hospice of the Valley; Meals on Wheels; and the Ohio River Art Gallery. She was a longtime member and past president of the Child Study Club and the Colonial Club.
Jane and Jackman were both cradle Episcopalians. They were active members of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in East Liverpool for 58 years.
Jane is survived by her loving husband of 63 years and by their three children: Sarah Webster Vodrey (Jeffrey Eric Hendrickson), Catherine Stroud Vodrey (Stephen William Huba) and Judge William Franklin Boyd Vodrey (Susan Carnahan Vodrey). She is also survived by her sisters Wisher Barthelman and Sarah Soderlund; her brother Douglass Green; her sisters-in-law Mary Lou Green and Dolly Vodrey Stamat; grandchildren Julia Hendrickson (Anthony Creeden), Valerie Hendrickson (Adithya Jayakumar), Henry Klein, John Vodrey, Lillian Klein, Ethan Vodrey and Thomas Vodrey; and step-grandsons Jacob Huba and Gregory Huba. She was pre-deceased by her parents and her brother Jim. A wide circle of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends survive her as well.
In 2000, the Vodreys' three children established the Jackman Stroud Vodrey & Jane Green Vodrey Scholarship to honor their parents. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to this scholarship at the Tuition Mission Foundation, P.O. Box 458, East Liverpool, Ohio 43920. A memorial service will be held at a later date.