Shortly after our reunion Judy Abarno's mom read in her North Carolina newspaper that Jane Ansell had died while living in her little beach town there. Jane Ansell was a WWHS business teacher. I then received a phone call from Jane's sister confirming that she had died in September. It was hard news to hear as Jane was so alive when she befriended many of us at Whitman. We talked her into being the teacher-sponsor of the Pep Club and she did her job with enthusiasm and a mighty smile. She took us seriously at a time when this was what we most needed. I believe that there are stories galore from this period; I have recently heard a few and would love to hear more!
While the authoritative teacher model dominated during the 1960’s, Jane Ansell was far from that. She was a breath of fresh air and a total crack up. Her initials JPA were duplicated countless times and allowed us to attend multiple lunches and disappear from study halls and gym. She was incredibly good natured, but most importantly, she honored who we were at that moment, not who we could be in the future
Over the years, Jane and I exchanged Christmas cards; I last spoke with her in 2000, when she invited me to her place in North Carolina. I regret now that I did not seize the moment as I would have loved just one more afternoon with this extraordinary woman.
This is indeed very sad news... I learned that Jane was on the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association at Guilford College. She graduated from Guilford in 1963.
I just spoke with Dan Raiford, who was a fellow college classmate of Jane's, and who married Lib Raiford, one of Jane's closest friends. Lib, Jane and four other girls were affectionately dubbed 'The Immature Six' by Dan - as a result of all their Guilford antics in the early 60's. The six remained lifelong friends. Lib and the other four ladies traveled to Caswell Beach after Jane's death - and scattered her ashes in the ocean in front of Jane's home.
