Jane B Stavoe

August 28, 1939 - April 9, 2019

Jane Bedingfield Stavoe of Arlington Heights, Illinois and Lahaina, HI, formerly of Mount Prospect, died peacefully surrounded by family at her Maui home on April 9, 2019. Born August 28,1939, Jane was a graduate of Arlington High School and Cornell College. Cornell is also where she met the love of her life, best friend, and husband of 56 years, Ron Stavoe. Jane was a wife, mother, teacher, friend, sister, aunt, grandmother and an avid champion of world peace. She would participate in rallies in Chicago on a regular basis to remind people to be kind and respectful to one another. A lifelong teacher and learner, Jane taught at Westgate Elementary and St. Raymond’s; tutored at King Kamehameha III Elementary in Lahaina and at Providence of God in Chicago; held book groups on parenting in her home; and shared her curiosity for people, ideas, and the world with her daughters and grandchildren. Her passions included gardening, walking and talking with friends, watching for rainbows and whales from the lanai, and eating in restaurants. Jane also loved books, art, music, poetry, and the color blue. During the last few years of her life, Jane gracefully endured both cancer and Alzheimer’s. All the while she held firm to her sense of humor and her belief that she was one of the luckiest people in the world. Jane is survived by husband, Ron; sister Carol Buick and brother Bruce (Gail) Bedingfield; daughters, Laura Stavoe (John Westover), Sandy (Bill) Blethen, and Amy (Greg) Svoboda; grandchildren Bailey (Liesl), Jeff, and Alex Blethen; Gabe and Dylan Harm; Sam, Charlie, and Kate Svoboda; and numerous other beloved family and friends. She was preceded in death by parents Victor and Jean Bedingfield and brother Don (Katie) Bedingfield. The family would like to thank Islands Hospice for their excellent and compassionate care. In lieu of flowers please make contributions to either Island Hospice (islandshospice.com), or Children’s Scholarship Fund for The Tutoring Project at Lahaina Complex Educational Foundation (mail to 193 Malanai, Lahaina, HI 96761). Jane enjoyed tutoring third graders Wednesdays in winter at King Kamehameha and the project director wanted us to share that from 2009-2015 she never missed a tutoring day! A celebration is planned in Arlington Heights, IL on April 22, and a Maui celebration of life will be arranged for a future date