Jayne Louise Kies

Jayne Kies, 77, after laughing and visiting with family and friends, died December 30, 2025 at Palm Garden of Tampa Rehabilitation Center. Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, she was the second born and only daughter of Owen C. Meece and Juliana Manuel. While not known for her athleticism, she was known for her love of reading and had quite the way with words.

She was the first in her family to attend college, earning a BA in History from Georgetown College in Lexington, KY in 1970. She soon started teaching and taught several of her younger cousins back in Ohio.

Not long after graduation she met Jerry Kies, of Salamanca, NY, through her college boyfriend. After a friendship formed they started dating and they married on May 26, 1973. They settled in Salamanca, NY where she started teaching school and he learned machinery maintenance and repair through Hobart, Corp.

In 1978 after realizing they couldn’t handle the western New York winters anymore, they moved to Tampa, Florida. At this time they were 5 years married and were not having much luck in having a child. After 11 years of marriage and a huge surprise to them who had given up, they had their only child, Sally Louise Rosendale.

Jayne was a long-time teacher in Hillsborough County teaching English and History at Pierce Middle School, Leto High School and Alonso High School. She retired in 2012. In retirement she loved to sew, teaching her granddaughters as well as making them clothes. She was an avid traveler, starting by being a tour organizer as her role as high school teacher with EF Tours and that continued after her retirement. She also loved collecting teacups and saucers on her travels and always loved having tea parties with her daughter and granddaughters.

Jayne is preceded in death by her father, Owen C. Meece in April of 2016 and her mother Juliana Manuel Meece in November of 2017. She is survived by her husband, Jerry Kies, of Tampa, FL, brother Paul Meece (Linda) of Dayton, OH, her daughter, Sally Rosendale and son-in-law, Michael Rosendale along with two granddaughters, Sophie and Adeline, of Clearwater, FL.

A celebration of life is pending.

She was a longtime member of Carrollwood Baptist Church; singing in the choir, teaching children’s choir and she was an active member of the women’s bible study.