Jane Frances (Kelly) Wylie

Jane Frances Wylie, most recently of Weston, CT, passed peacefully after a sudden illness on the 16th of September in the arms of her daughters, Sarah and Meaghan, and her husband Robert.

Jane was a citizen of the world. Born in Beaconsfield, England on the 8th December 1960 to architect Terence Kelly and his wife Patricia, Jane grew up in Gerrards Cross, England.  Educated at Holy Cross Convent and High Wycombe College of Art, Jane moved to London in her twenties to pursue a career in design. Here she met Rob, and after a four-year trans-Atlantic courtship they married in 1985, moved to the United States, and set up a home in Hartford, CT.  After moving to Higganum, CT, Sarah was born in 1992, followed by Meaghan in 1995. Jane and family moved to Singapore and had a wonderful expatriate adventure, travelling throughout the region, experiencing diverse cultures, and meeting incredible people.  Returning briefly to Higganum, the family moved to Holliston, MA where Jane designed a new home, raised her school-age daughters, and worked at Kennedy Designs.  In addition, Jane pursued a certificate in Interior Design at the Rhode Island School of Design.  The family moved to Weston, CT in 2007, where Sarah and Meaghan finished school and joined the world.

Jane was vibrant, compassionate, and generous.  She gave her time freely to others, none more so than to her husband and daughters.  Jane made friends easily and kept them for life.  Her keen sense of humor and luminous smile made her difficult to forget.  As well as regularly visiting her family in England, Jane nurtured close friendships in the United States and all over the world.  She volunteered for years with preparing and serving senior citizen lunches, looking forward to the delight of those consuming the meals.  Throughout her daughters’ years in school, she served as room mother, organizing assistance for teachers and relishing in delivering a unique thank-you gift at the end of the year.  Members of Company in Weston might remember Jane as a scenery painter and a prop master.  Jane served as a deacon and head deacon for the First Congregational Church in Holliston.

Jane was a passionate and talented pianist, gardener, and chef. The Wylie household was most complete when filled with the sounds of her playing the baby grand piano. Her repertoire included a wide range of music from classical to rock, pop, and jazz.  One of Jane’s favorite jokes was to play “cheesy” 70’s music – from Barry Manilow to the Bee Gees – in an effort to start the pets howling and prompt Rob’s caterwauling in protest. Jane was a prodigious gardener with a verdant thumb who, taking cues from her mother, cultivated a formal English garden.  She grew roses in Hartford, nurtured an orchard in Higganum, and designed a new landscape carved from the woods in Holliston.  In Weston, Jane created a glorious vista that is full of color and life at all times of the year.  Jane’s love of cooking started with a series of Le Cordon Bleu books in her teens.  She learned how to prepare increasingly complicated dishes and crafted stunning cakes for special events.  She even created her own wedding cake, which had an unbelievably intricate and delicate network of icing threads circumnavigating each layer. Jane continued to develop her craft, cooking diverse dishes and causing regular culinary delight.  She was famous for her meringues, which were requested at every gathering.

Jane is survived by her daughters, Sarah and Meaghan; her husband, Rob; her mother, Patricia; and siblings, Patrick, Debby, and Anne, and their spouses.  Jane is also survived by aunts, numerous cousins, nephews, nieces, grandnieces and nephews, and in-laws from both the Kelly and Wylie families.  Jane was pre-deceased by her father, Terence.  

A memorial service for Jane Wylie is scheduled for Saturday, 17 October 2020 at 11:00.  Further details and weblink will be provided. 

MEMORIAL SERVICE ZOOM LINK

MEETING ID: 811 6834 8468
PASSCODE: 275454
 
The prelude will start at 10:30am EST (15:30pm BST).  We suggest signing into the Zoom meeting by 10:45am EST (15:45pm BST) to avoid any issues with accessing the livestream.  
 
To sign in, please click the link above and if prompted, enter the Meeting ID and Passcode.  
If you do not already have the Zoom application downloaded to your computer or phone, sign up ahead of time by clicking HERE and following the instructions on the page.

Please feel free to share the Zoom link with others!
 
CONTACT INFORMATION

Questions about the Service: Sarah Wylie at sarahwylie01@gmail.com 
Questions about Zoom/Tech: James Wylie at jamespwylie@gmail.com