Jane L. Abe

She filled up the days that the Lord had made; let us rejoice and be glad.
Jane Elizabeth Lambert was born in Indiana, Pa., in Pennsylvania coal country, to James P. and Sara L. Lambert. She grew up in the center of a sprawling Irish Catholic family of boisterous, hardworking, quick-witted characters, spending her school days in the village of Iselin, Pa., and the summers at family camps, where she preferred a book to a fishing pole.
She graduated from Elders Ridge High School and from Seton Hill College in Greensburg, Pa., then moved to Princeton, N.J., where her double major in English and Mathematics won her a job writing and editing SAT questions at the Educational Testing Service. There, she met and married Clifford Abe. He introduced her to Japanese-American culture and the Rocky Mountains; the young couple moved to the University of Iowa (where Susan was born), the University of Arizona (Bruce came along), the University of New Mexico, and finally to the University of Utah, where they settled in Salt Lake City.
Jane had studied teaching at Seton Hill, and had substituted in Iowa high schools. When she taught second-grade religion classes at St. Bernadette’s Parish in Albuquerque, it frustrated her that anyone would expect little children to learn anything while squirming on adult-sized folding chairs. Cliff listened to her fuming and said: “So get rid of the chairs.” For the rest of her life, Jane sat on floors surrounded by comfortable, attentive students.
At the University of Utah, Jane earned her master’s degree in special education, and began a 35-year career teaching gifted children in Salt Lake City School District. She taught mostly 4th-, 5th- and 6th-graders at Washington, Jackson, Emerson, Uintah, Ensign, Riley and Beacon Heights schools. Probably the chore she liked least was scoring a pile of Future Problem Solving papers — but she so loved what her kids learned that when her school could no longer offer the official program, she organized a replacement curriculum and intermural competition. She led professional development in gifted education across Utah and the nation, with special attention to the Talents Unlimited and Mosaic of Thought models. True to her family’s union roots, she also served in leadership for the Salt Lake Teachers Association.
Jane and Cliff dedicated themselves to educating their children, scheduling every dreamed-for purchase for that fabled day “when the kids are out of college” but putting every bit of their resources until then into a rich life of music lessons, swim team and science camp, driving to dance and drama and math classes. Family entertainment was walking into the mountains with a pack of sandwiches, a road trip to visit relatives, or long evenings playing bridge. Jane went with Susan every summer to learn the Obon Festival dances at the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple. In 1988, Bruce graduated from Pomona College, and they could relax … and settle into paying off their debts.
When Cliff died suddenly in 1992, Jane joined the jet set, traveling often to visit her mother and siblings in the East or her children on the West Coast. She earned her SCUBA certification — she loved the daring of the Giant Step off the boat — and dived on travels with friends off Mexico and in Hawaii. She went to Nova Scotia for leadership training with Margaret Wheatley. She maintained her frequent-flyer medallion status until the end.
The people of Bonnie Brae Avenue filled her empty nest with music and children and true friendship. For years, she served as pianist for the Primary children at the local LDS ward, and nobody even asked her to convert.
Bruce moved home in 2004, and found a goal of teaching; in 2007, Susan’s daughter Sarah joined the household, working as an aide in Jane’s schools and apprenticing to her as a master teacher. Jane rejoiced as both her housemates persevered through obstacles to win their own classrooms, and loved hearing their stories of students. Together they cheered as “young scamps” joined the Utah Jazz roster and developed their skills and teamwork. Together they walked up the Lake Blanche trail to tend the bench Jane had placed as Cliff’s memorial.
At 71, Jane cut back to teaching half-time, and at 73, she retired, disappointing the colleagues and students who were sure she was too young to leave them. But she never looked back. She increased her time in Iselin, eventually spending a few weeks of every month helping her centenarian mother live independently in her own home.
When she received her final cancer diagnosis in March 2015, her travels ended, but her days were gladdened by visits long and short from friends and family. She had no fear of death, she told us, but she loved living.
She is survived by her children, Susan and Bruce Abe; her daughter-in-law, Doretta Schrock; her granddaughter, Sarah Schrock; her siblings, Marie McGee, Jim Lambert, John Lambert, and Sara Bloom; her siblings-in-law, Karen Abe, Caroline Abe, Ray and Margie Kawamoto, and Judy Lambert; and the beloved families of a host of nieces, nephews and cousins. She rests in the Lord.
Her family is endlessly grateful for the care we all received from Rocky Mountain Care. A funeral service will be at 6 p.m. Friday, March 18, in Mountain View Mortuary, 3115 E. 7800 South, Salt Lake City, following a 4 p.m. viewing. A celebration of life is scheduled for later, at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 21, at Red Butte Gardens.
The family hopes you can join us again for a celebrtation of Jane’s life at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 21st at Red Butte Gardens in Salt Lake City, UT.
Service Information
Viewing March 18, 2016 at 4-6 p.m.
Mountain View Mortuary





Funeral Service
March 18, 2016 at 6 p.m.
Mountain View Mortuary