Jane Cole Brown , VRHS Class of 1952
AST GREENBUSH -- On October 5, 2021, Jane C. Brown, 87, passed away peacefully at home with her daughter Barbara by her side. Jane was born on September 3, 1934, in Rensselaer to Donald G. Cole and Dorothy Cole (Meek). She was preceded in death by her husband Clifford and her eldest daughter Nancy. Jane graduated from Van Rensselaer High School in 1952 before receiving her B.S. in home economics from SUNY Oneonta in 1956. She was a member of the Alpha Sigma Beta sorority. Jane moved to Rochester where she worked for Rochester Gas and Electric until 1958 when Jane married Clifford H. Brown after he courted her by flying her around the Northeast in his Cessna. They moved to Eagle Mills where she raised her three children, Nancy, Bill, and Barbara. Jane worked hard to introduce her children to people from all over the world and to all religions so they would know to treat everyone they met with respect and decency. The poem "About Ben Adhem" by Leigh Hunt was a favorite of hers and best expressed her belief. After raising her children, she worked for several years as a substitute teacher for various schools in Rensselaer County. In 1988, Jane and her husband Cliff bought Miss Albany Diner which they ran for the next 23 years, winning many awards and making many friends. Jane also became a voice-over artist and worked as an extra in several film productions. For the last eight years, Jane found love again with Steve Brown (no relation) of Rensselaer, who enriched her life with great happiness and loving companionship right up to the end. Most recently she fulfilled a long-held desire and joined the Catholic faith becoming a communicant of St. John the Evangelist and St. Joseph of Rensselaer. She is survived by her son Bill Brown; daughter Barbara Smith; son-in-law Robert Cummings; her grandchildren, Guinevere Bernard, Benjamin Cummings, and wife Bethany; and two great-grandchildren, and Steve Brown. A celebration of life will take place on November 6, at 9 a.m. at the RPI Cultural Center, 2125 Burdett Ave., Troy. Friends in attendance are encouraged to share humorous stories and fond memories of Jane.