Jane (Mahon) Lydon

Jane M. Lydon, 68, sister of Deacon John W. Mahon, Ph.D., of St. Philip Parish, Norwalk, died peacefully in her sleep in her home in Silver Spring, MD, on October 23.  She and her husband, Thomas P. Lydon, Esq., lived for many years in Silver Spring, MD, but Jane was a native New Yorker (born December 6, 1949) educated at Fontbonne Hall, a Catholic girls’ school in the shadow of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Jane graduated from Marymount Manhattan College and earned a Masters degree at Teachers’ College, Columbia University. Her entire professional career was devoted to early childhood education, first in a facility in East New York, Brooklyn; then as a Children’s Librarian at the Darien, CT, public library; and then for many years at several branches of the St George’s County, MD, library system.  She created many innovative programs, most notably the Teddy Bear Picnic, an annual event highlighting the importance of reading in the lives of children. The Teddy Bear Picnic that Jane developed in Maryland has become a national phenomenon among public libraries. Jane lived in Stamford for some years early in her marriage, becoming a Eucharistic Minister at St Catherine of Siena Parish in Riverside; she served as Eucharistic Minister and in Prison Ministry for many years until she suffered a debilitating stroke in 2008. Jane is survived by her husband Tom, a public defender in Washington, DC, and her brother Deacon Jack, as well as countless cousins. The wake for Jane Lydon will be held on October 28 from 4-8 pm, with a Mass of Christian Burial at St Philip’s at 10 am on October 29. Interment with her parents at Gate of Heaven in Valhalla, NY.