Jane Dermody
An artist with
vision and joy in life.
Sunday, July 9,
2006
On July 9, 2006, local Frenchtown
artist,
mother and wife, Jane Dermody departed this earth after a year-long
struggle against
cancer. She left behind her husband Michael, their two young daughters,
Shea Martine and Erin Jane Dermody, her older daughter Tyler Elizabeth
Nash, her mother and step-father and many, many friends.
Frenchtown already missed Jane when
she and the family moved to their new home in Port St. Lucie, Florida
last year. But she stayed in our minds and conversation. Everyone was concerned when we
we got word of the cancer that challenged her very life. Often
a conversation would begin with "How's Jane doing?"
A few years ago, Jane was
instrumental in arranging support for another local woman who was
diagnosed with cancer. Jane and their friends planned a wonderful
fundraiser to help her. Fortunately for us all, her friend survived. We
all hoped that Jane would as well. She deserved to. After raising her
first daughter mostly alone, she had met and married a wonderful man
and they had two lovely young daughters. They all needed Jane and still
do.
Jane was blessed to have found a
wonderful man. All who know him would agree that he is patient,
thoughtful, wise and generally good company as well as a good husband
to Jane and a good father to their daughters. For the past year - and even before this tragedy befell
the family, Michael devoted his life
and his time to caring for Jane and the girls. They made a
touching sight, strolling through town together, the little girls in
their little wagon, pulled by mother or father. It was the sort of
image which
represents a life lived well and filled with love and promise.
They lived along the river for nine
years, in a house twice flooded before they moved south. Each time,
they cleaned up and made repairs and life returned to normal along the
river. Jane's studio itself is a work of art - a large garage beneath,
a spacious studio high above. An interesting place to visit, its large
windows looking out on the river she loved. Mike and Jane often hosted
informal gatherings at their place along the river, with good food,
good home-made music and comfort and friendship. Everyone who attended
felt welcome and sensed the peace surrounding them all.
It is Jane's wish that her ashes be
strewn from the
Frenchtown Bridge. They will float down past her home, past her studio,
flowing gently past the place she loved. Her friends and family
will watch and weep and console themselves as best they can.
The photo at the top of this page
was taken after the flood waters receded in September of 2004. Jane's
garden suffered greatly after 4-5 feet of water flowed across it
for a day, but her garden plaque, clearly stating that "Earth does not
belong to us, We belong to the Earth", remained embedded where she had
placed it, expressing her understanding of our place on this earth, and
that we come, we go and the earth keeps on turning.
Well, it's hard to imagine how it
will turn for us now, without Jane - and for Mike and the girls - young
girls whose lives are forever changed after losing their beautiful
young mother so early in their lives, and for Mike, who found Jane
after they had both had many adventures in their own lives. It was a
new
life for them both - a life of love and promise, so sad to see it
shortened
in this way. But the girls will grow, and they will know the love of
their father, and hear the stories of their mother - of her
art, her love of life and the friends she made and kept and who will
miss her forever...
A.R. 7/17/2006
|