Jane Winn Van Brimer

Obituary for Jane Winn Van Brimer "'How does one become a butterfly?’ Pooh asked pensively. ‘You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar,’ Piglet replied. ‘You mean to die?’ asked Pooh. ‘Yes and no,’ he answered. ‘What looks like you will die, but what’s really you will live on.'" Jane Winn Van Brimer, lover of “Pooh”, lover of dogs, lover of nature and birds, friends, reading, and travel, passed away on Tuesday evening, June 20, just 4 hours shy of the summer solstice, which she loved - as she embraced the long, bright days and did not care for the long dark winters. Two days shy of what would have been the 66th anniversary of her marriage to Russell Hugh Van Brimer, who predeceased her in Sept ’20. As was very typical of our always planning Mom, she wrote her own obituary, but I, her daughter, am taking the liberty of telling the real story, of course using her template and being ever mindful of using correct grammar and spelling. Grammar and manners were passions of Jane’s and there was a constant reminder of its importance throughout our childhood. Dinner time was always an opportunity to remind us of “how will you act when you are invited to the White House for dinner?”…We’re still waiting.. Jane was born in Rochester, Pennsylvania, the only child of Herbert and Mary Winn. Soon after, the family moved to Pittsburgh, then eventually on to Bethesda, Maryland. Jane attended the National Cathedral School for girls in Washington, DC, and remained a proud alum for the rest of her life. After high school, she went on to attend Duke University for two years, transferring to George Washington University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Art History. Just after her graduation from GW, she met Hugh at a party and they began long distance dating while Hugh was serving in the Navy. They married in a chapel of Jane’s beloved alma mater, The National Cathedral. After they were married, Jane left her beloved Washington to move with Hugh to Toledo, Ohio where daughter Erica was born. 6 months later, they moved to an even smaller town, Chillicothe, Ohio. Jane was resilient and they built a life in Chillicothe with the addition of son, Winn, and so many great friends and social events, and good times. Bassett Hounds and bridge and sailing clubs ensued, eventually moving on to Dayton, Ohio where they spent 6 happy years. Every social event was carefully documented on typewritten index cards - detailing menus and guests - and there were a lot of them. The consummate Mom and homemaker, days were filled with sewing clothes for her children, organizing summer activities, including the ingenious “Quiet Hour” on summer afternoons, followed by the reward of going to a friend’s pool. She was a top notch Girl Scout leader and extremely talented needle pointer, her pillows filling all of our homes. What started as a way to relieve stress while Dad drove at high speeds on two lane road - road trips, became an impressive talent. Even in the 60’s era of white bread and Hamburger Helper, Jane liked to experiment with new and interesting dishes. Leaving Ohio in 1978, they spent 17 years in Connecticut for Hugh’s position with Exxon, after which they retired to Williamsburg in 1995. Life in Williamsburg was filled with good friends, lots of golf, more time on Hugh’s boat, and travel. Jane and Hugh explored the world, traveling to 7 continents, with Jane photo documenting every trip. Photography had become another passion and she had a small business in Virginia, even processing her own photos in the darkroom in the basement. Her love of travel was passed on to her children whom she and Hugh encouraged to spend a year abroad, which they both did between high school and college, after hosting an exchange student from Belgium in our home in Dayton for a year. In Connecticut, Jane was a passionate organizer of the local AFS student exchange program. Her other volunteer commitments included the Williamsburg Symphonia League and the Christmas Parlor of Bruton Parish Church. When Hugh began to study the family genealogy, it was discovered that Jane was a direct descendant of Joshua Fry who worked with Peter Jefferson to map the state of Virginia. This offered Jane a membership in the Colonial Dames of America, of which she was very proud. Jane was a proud member of the philanthropic sorority, PEO. Holidays were of great importance to Jane, making sure that everything on her checklist was completed, including the ever dreaded watching of the “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas” each Christmas Eve, loyal granddaughter, Sarah by her side. Jane is survived by her two children, Erica Van Brimer Goldfarb (Adam) of Charlottesville, Virginia; and son, Hugh Winn Van Brimer (Kim) of Little Rock, Arkansas. Grandchildren Natalie Winn Sosnowski, Hannah Frances Grace Van Brimer, Danielle Peterson and Daniel Riddle. Great-grandchildren, Julian and Sunny Sosnowski, Reagan Peterson and Dylan and James Riddle. She is predeceased by her husband, Hugh and granddaughter Sarah Mary Goldfarb. The family wishes to thank the incredible staff at WindsorMeade’s Memory Care unit. Throughout the past 2 ½ years, they have become like family. Their compassion and true caring is beyond compare. Services will be held in the Bethlehem Chapel at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC on October 28 at 11:00 AM. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date. Donations can be made in Jane’s name to: The Seeing Eye, Inc., PO Box 375, Morristown, NJ, 07963 or The Alzheimer’s Association, PO Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011. Online condolences may be shared at www.NelsenWilliamsburg.com.