Jane Rita Vicars

It is with great sadness that our family announces the passing of our beloved mother, Jane Rita Vicars, on August 8, 2025, at the age of 84. For the past 5 years, Jane resided in Chandler, Arizona having also lived in Mesa, Arizona for 32 years. She was born in Aurora, Illinois to John Warren Marsh, II and Grace Rita Marsh, sharing her birthday with not only her twin brother Jeffrey, but also with their mother as well. She was the third-oldest of 12 children (John, Jeffrey, Jane, Anthony, Barry, Daniel, Cynthia, Patrick, Mary Jo, Marjorie, Brian, and Elizabeth), all bearing an endearing resemblance to one another so much that they were easily recognized around town.

Jane attended West Aurora High School where she was highly active in student life and was secretary of her student council and Homecoming Queen her senior year. She graduated in 1959 and attended nursing school at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, IL where she became an RN in 1962. Surrounded by their large family, she married Jack Charles Vicars on April 20, 1963, at Holy Angles Catholic Church in Aurora, Illinois. She felt the spark right away on her first date with Jack and told her mother that same night that she wanted to marry “someone just like Jack Vicars.” They soon started their own family and were blessed with four children: Daniel, Timothy, Rita, and Mary Beth.

She dedicated her life to caring for others as a compassionate and skilled nurse, devoting 25 years of service as an RN to Mercy Center in Aurora, Illinois. In 1988, she relocated to Arizona with her family where she continued her successful career as a Director of Nursing, Medical Legal Consultant, and Medical Surveyor for the state of Arizona. She finally retired in 2009 after 47 years of heartfelt nursing and community service.

Jane will be remembered as a genuine, kind, cheerful, and smart woman who loved her family and friends. She spent her leisure time as an avid reader, coffee drinker, and loved to sew and quilt. She frequently gifted her creations to family and friends who have cherished those pieces over the years. She also had a remarkable green thumb with thriving plants, making some us “green” with envy. If she wasn’t tuning into the latest episode of Jeopardy, she was cheering on the Phoenix Suns, Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears, or the Arizona Diamondbacks/Chicago Cubs from her cozy recliner. As a crossword puzzle enthusiast, you often could find her enjoying the Sunday crossword puzzle which she always completed in ink!

In 2021, Jane, and her late-husband Jack, moved from their Mesa home to an independent living community in Chandler where they thrived socially, making many close friends. Jane was especially active on campus, attending many activities, participating in her local Book Club, volunteering as her buildings’ librarian, and assisting with a small resident-run market each week. She treasured her friends and we know she will be greatly missed.

She is survived by her grateful and bereaved children Daniel Vicars (Kimberly Prendergast), Timothy Vicars (Sandra), Rita Candelaria (Albert), Mary Beth Amato (Steven), her grandchildren Andrew (Rita), Lindsay (Timothy), Autumn (Mary Beth), Adrianna (Rita), Thomas (Timothy) and two bonus grandchildren Cameron Pinches and Katherine Alberti, all of whom she adored. She is also survived by her cherished siblings Anthony, Cynthia, Mary Jo, Marjorie, and Brian as well as with many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends who all grieve this tremendous loss.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years, Jack Vicars, her parents John and Grace Marsh, her siblings John, Jeffrey (twin), Barry, Daniel, Patrick, and Elizabeth.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Friday, August 22, 2025, at 5:00 PM with a reception to follow at Lakeshore Mortuary, 1815 South Dobson Road, Mesa, AZ 85202. A committal service will occur at a later date at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 North Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, AZ 85024.