Jane Connors Baker

Jane passed away following a recent and aggressive diagnosis of ALS. She bravely handled it with a smile and no complaints.

Above all else, Jane was deeply loved by her husband, Charles. Their relationship began as a comfortable friendship and grew into a 17 year marriage of loyalty, devotion, and steadfast love. Charles stood by Jane faithfully, especially through the most difficult seasons of her life offering patience and love . In her final months, he carried the weight of her care offering her comfort and strength when she needed it most.

Jane experienced profound loss early on in life when her mother passed away. Jane was only 6 years old. That loss shaped her. She often talked lovingly about her mother. As a child, she followed her brothers, Christoper and John. As John passed away in August of last year, she is once again following behind him and now they are reunited.

Jane loved hard, forgave quickly, and felt life intensely. She had a big heart for others. Some of the most meaningful events in her life were centered around showing love to someone else. She raised her 4 children and 2 stepchildren. She donated a kidney to a man she had never met, pulled a man from a burning business, and chose to work with special needs students whom she loved very much. Jane had a deep and authentic love of her family and humanity.

Jane loved working with children in Cumberland County schools for over 2 decades. She chose to work with special needs children and often had their pictures covering her refrigerator. Their smiles and hugs meant the world to her. She found joy in the school building and was often seen being goofy and unapologetically corny. Her smile and quirkiness were a much-loved part of her.

Jane is survived by her husband, Charles. Her children, Amanda Carson, Michael Rush, Marie Rush, and Erin Rush, her stepchildren, Christopher Baker and Taylor Baker, her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and her brother, Christopher O’Connor. She also leaves behind countless friends. She loved them all dearly and talked about them often. She loved and was loved.

Jane was raised Catholic and felt a deep connection to her Irish heritage and to her faith. She believed in God, in forgiveness, and in mercy - especially the kind that meets us gently at the end of our journey.

As we remember Jane’s life, we see that it held struggle, loss, laughter, and deep love. She was not perfect, but she was real. We entrust her to the mercy of God, trusting that grace is greater than our human frailty and that forgiveness is stronger than our shortcomings.

May she now rest in the peace of Christ. Eternal rest granted unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she be wrapped in mercy and finally at peace.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to: the Autism Society, Autism support, resources & advocacy | Autism Speaks www.autismspeaks.org , or Children’s Heart Project https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/childrens-heart-project (Samaritan’s Purse).

Visitation will be held at Timberlake Church of God, 3515 Sturbridge Dr., Hope Mills, North Carolina, on March 7, 2026, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.

A Memorial Service will be held at Timberlake Church of God, 3515 Sturbridge Dr., Hope Mills, North Carolina, on March 7, 2026, at 11:00 am.