Jane was born March 25, 1925 in St Louis. She attended college at Washington University and subsequently obtained a PhD. In the Biochemistry Department at Washington University, she met Charles “Rollo” Park who she married in 1953. They were married for 63 years. In 1952, Rollo became Chairman of the Vanderbilt Physiology Department, and Jane was his first faculty recruit.
She was an active researcher for more than 50 years until her retirement in 2016. She was completely dedicated to research and the academic life. At a time when women in science were rare, Jane was a model of successfully combining work and family.
She enjoyed attending scientific meetings into her eighties and was enthusiastically supportive of her students and colleagues. Jane was devoted to her family, especially Rollo, her son Edwards, his wife Vicki and her granddaughters, Ellen and Rebecca, as well as many nieces and nephews. Services will be held on Saturday August 24 at Christ Church Cathedral with visitation at 1:30 PM followed by a service at 2:30 PM.
