Jane Sarmiento Schwab

Jane Sarmiento Schwab passed away peacefully in Seattle, Washington on September 7th, 2016, after a two and a half year battle with cancer, which she fought with courage and determination. Her loving family was at her side when she took her final breath.

Jane was born in Detroit, Michigan on December, 7th, 1939 to Elvira Anderson Sarmiento and Vicente Laureta Sarmiento. The family moved to the Philippines after World War II and remained there until 1950 when Jane relocated with her mother to Yakima, Washington. Jane attended public schools in Yakima and graduated with the class of 1958 from Yakima High. She later received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Central Washington University and at age 58 began a five year course of study which led to a doctorate in American Studies from Washington State University in 2003.

Jane taught in the Yakima Public Schools for thirty years and after receiving her Ph.D she taught for five years at Yakima Valley Community College. She had a passion for teaching and motivating students and she enriched the lives of hundreds and hundreds of those students.

Jane had a beautiful and fun loving spirit which led her to travel around the world. She loved all of the fine arts, especially the live theater, and was a voracious reader. Her love of music and singing also led her to participate in different singing groups, most recently the Market Street Singers in Ballard, Washington.

She believed deeply in social justice and a healthy world environment, and gave many hours of her time volunteering to ensure that the planet was a safe and sane place to live and that all people were treated with respect and dignity.

She had many interests in her public and professional life and developed close relationships with friends all over the United States and abroad but her greatest joy was her family. Jane loved her husband and children and grandchildren with a fierce devotion and gave of herself tirelessly for their happiness and enlightenment.

Jane is survived by her husband, Michael, and her children, Kristin (Kevin), Lisa (Janet), and Aaron, and her grandchildren, Emma and Rezendes. Additionally she is survived by her sister, Eleanor Krueger of Yakima and her nephew, Tom Krueger of San Leandro, California.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2016 at 2:00 pm, at the University Unitarian Church, 6556 35th AVE, NE, Seattle, WA 98115. The Rev. Dr. Patrick T. O’Neill will preside. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in Jane’s memory to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, which was Jane’s favorite charity. A memorial fund under Jane Sarmiento Schwab has been created at: http://giftfunds.stjude.org/janesarmientoschwab