Jane Lyon Schafer

Jane Lyon was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, on an unseasonably balmy Friday, January 14, 1938. As an only child of Dorothy and Fred Lyon, Jane was often alone, but never lonely. Probably because she always had such a fertile and inquisitive mind. Dorothy and Fred split when Jane was seven, but that only strengthened Dorothy’s resolve to raise a smart, driven, and sophisticated young lady. And Jane achieved all of those (shared) goals. She was valedictorian at her high school (Scottsbluff Bearcats Class of ‘55, baby!) and went on to the University of Nebraska to study journalism and education. Notably, Jane was one of a handful of Princess Debutantes of the courtly 1958 Ak-Sar-Ben Ball, the social event in Nebraska. According to a recording of the day, Jane was dressed in a “deeper yellow dress, reminiscent of Monet’s marigolds, with a two-panel bodice that hugged the mid-waist elegantly.”

Coming off her glamour introduction to Nebraska “Society”, such as it was, Jane and her mother took off for their “Grand Tour,”— a whirlwind European tour covering something like 20 countries in 21 days. This trip, as much as any other event in her life, shaped her appreciation for history, antiquities, and genealogy. It was at that time that Jane began her lifelong passion of collecting things— porcelains, jewelry, cut glass, and trivial facts (man, she was really good at Jeopardy!).

Returning to the University of Nebraska’s Lincoln campus for her final year, Jane met her soon-to-be husband, Henry Grogan, an officer candidate in the US Air Force. Interestingly, Henry was dating Jane’s college roommate at the time. History is unclear as to how Jane and Henry started dating, but “all is fair in love and war.” As often happened back then, love blossomed, leading to children. Mike came along quite quickly, in August of 1959. Scottie soon followed in 1960, and Dale in 1963. Sadly, Scotty passed unexpectedly in 1964, an unspeakable loss no parent should have to endure.

Jane flourished as a mother and as an officer’s wife. She found that she was particularly adept socially as well as organizationally. During Henry’s entire AF career, Jane juggled a busy life raised Mike and Dale essentially on her own and was almost always leading an Officer’s Wives Club or other social or service organization. When the family moved to St. Petersburg, Florida in the summer of 1972, the pace of life seemed to speed up. From running the kids to sports, to managing the family’s social calendars, to joining her genealogy and church groups, Jane barely “had time to sit down” (her words). But she loved every minute of it, especially the little things. She used to remark that there was pure joy and perfection in watching her boys play ball or the peace of a sunset on the Gulf. She was just the best mom one could ask for. Whether it was that comforting bear hug after a skinned knee, or the “Don’t worry, I’ll talk to your dad about it,” Mom was always there, always.

Sometimes things don’t always work out as expected, but they tend to work out for the best. Jane and Henry were divorced in 1981, which allowed Jane to meet and marry Ralph Schafer in 1983. What an adventurous time for them. Ralph was always on the go and happy to have Jane alongside him. They traveled quite a bit, often to Vegas where they really never beat the odds, but had just amazing times. At the very least, we all got to hear the stories of how that one slot machine hit big. Jane was married to Ralph for nearly 20 years, until his passing in 2002. During those years, Jane really grew into herself, speaking fondly of the Christmas Eve parties at Phil and Sandy’s house — always over the top, completely chaotic, and great, exhausting fun.

In her last decades, Jane was able to reconnect with her friend Toni Weaver, whom she had met during the Grand Tour of 1958. They stayed in touch over the years. She and Jane were able to take a number of trips and cruises all over the world - Jane’s collection of refrigerator magnets was that testament to her globetrotting. Travel was a lifelong longing for her.

Jane is survived by her two sons, Mike Grogan and Dale Grogan, and her three stepchildren Craig Schafer, Phil Schafer, and Sandy Hayford, along with numerous grandkids and great-grandkids.

Jane’s legacy was not just her connectivity to her past, as a member of no less than seven genealogy societies: The Daughters of the American Revolution; Daughters of the American Colonists; Colonial Dames Seventeenth Century; Dame of the Court of Honor; Women Descendents of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company; Order of Descendents of Colonial Physicians & Chirurgiens; Continental Society Daughters of Indian Wars; and Daughter of Union Veteran, Civil War, 1861-1865. Rather, Jane’s life touched so many lives through her kindness, whose effect multiplies across time, now and in the future. Mom was giving - by intent, by purpose and by default. She not just taught Christian ideals, she lived them. Jane was deeply religious, enjoying the ceremony and satisfaction of her faith. And the music — Lord how she loved the music. She sang and sang and sang, until she physically couldn’t.

Jane died on Saturday, February 8, 2025, of natural causes. She was peaceful and was ready to meet her Lord. Now she rests with the Angels, in perfect harmony with God and universe. Except for my Dad, with whom she is probably arguing over the celestial TV remote. Jane, you are loved, adored, and terribly missed.

A memorial service for Jane will be held Friday, March 28, 2025 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM at St. Dunstan's Anglican Church, 2790 Sunny Breeze Ave, Largo, FL 33770.