Jane H. Haven

Jane was born December 8, 1923, the only child of Elmer Leroy Hathaway and Marie Ketels Hathaway in St. Louis, Missouri. She grew up in Chilicothe, Illinois, where her father was a Division Engineer on the Santa Fe Railroad. She graduated from Chilicothe High School in 1941, where she played the bassoon in the State High School Marching Band competitions.

Jane graduated from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois in June 1944, as a chemistry major in a war-accelerated program. She was then employed as a chemist for Midwest Research Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, the second woman to be so employed. In this capacity, she frequently gave presentations on the synthetic textiles that were then emerging on the market, including nylon, Dacron and Orlon.

In September 1949, Jane received a fellowship to continue her education and entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a PhD candidate in Textile Chemistry. While at MIT, Jane met Alfred C. Haven, who was there as a PhD candidate in Organic Chemistry. They were married on February 5, 1950 in Kansas City, Missouri and resided in Cambridge, Massachusetts while Al completed his PhD program. Afterwards, the couple raised their family in Wilmington, Delaware, where Al was employed by the DuPont Company.

In the early 1960’s, Jane hosted a radio program addressing women’s issues of the day at WDEL, Wilmington, Delaware. Jane was one of the first women to serve on the vestry of Trinity Episcopal Church in Wilmington.

From 1972 to 1975, the couple was transferred to Tokyo, Japan by DuPont, thus beginning Jane’s enduring interest in Japanese culture. She became a collector and art dealer of modern Japanese woodblock prints.

Throughout her adult life, Jane was keenly interested in equal opportunities for women in the business and academic fields, and was for many years active in the American Association of University Women. Jane served terms as President of both the Wilmington, Delaware and the Cape Cod Branches. The Cape Cod Branch of AAUW named her as an Educational Foundation honoree in 1993.

After Al’s retirement in 1982, the couple moved to Wellfleet, Massachusetts, where Jane was an active member of the Board of Outer Cape Health for a number of years. In Wellfleet, she resumed playing the bassoon with the Lower Cape Concert Band.

The couple moved to Chatham in 1998, where Jane was an active member of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, including many years as a volunteer in the Thrift Shop and serving on the search committee for the current rector.

Devoted to her family, Jane led a life of service to the values and issues she held dear. She was a person of rare intelligence, thoughtfulness, and wit, always putting others’ needs before her own. Although a native mid-westerner, she held a special affinity for the East coast. She loved the natural beauty of the Cape, and found joy in her love of dogs. A most treasured wife, mother and grandmother. Her family is so fortunate to have had Jane at the center of their lives.

Jane is survived by her husband of 67 years, her son Kenneth R. Haven and wife Casey Haven of Livermore, California; her daughter Elizabeth L. Haven and husband Richard Humphreys of Auburn, California; her daughter Julia Haven Malloy and husband Gregory Malloy of Sandwich, as well as five grandchildren: Caroline Humphreys, Elena Humphreys, Emma Haven, Kylie Malloy, and Rory Malloy. She also leaves her former international exchange student Filomena Martins and family, of Lisbon, Portugal.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 11, 11:00 a.m., at St. Christopher’s Church, Chatham. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Jane’s memory may be made to Outer Cape Health Services, P.O. Box 1413, Wellfleet, MA 02667 or to St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, 625 Main St., Chatham, MA 02633.

Arrangements under the direction of Nickerson~Bourne Funeral Home, Sandwich, MA.