Obituary of Jane Carol Voigt

JANE’S RECOLLECTIONS OF A LIFE TO CELEBRATE May 1, 1928 – September 26,2023 BLESSINGS OF MY LIFE: Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, May 1, 1928 to J. Ole and Laura Bridgman, who provided a home with courtesy, affection, and consistency, always open to my friends. They were devoted Presbyterians and raised me in the Christian faith. After graduation from Wayne High School, Wayne, Nebraska, with sacrifice they gave me the opportunity to attend college; two years at Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio, and two at the University of Nebraska where I left with a love for the social sciences—a curiosity about people, their history, customs, and political systems....which was probably why I liked to travel so much. While I was at the U of NE I met Robert Voigt, a handsome shy Navy all-weather night-fighter carrier pilot. After graduation, I was hired by Frontier Airlines to be Secretary to the Chief Pilot in its first year of operation. In 1951, Bob Voigt and I began a 40-year marriage. After serving in the Korean War Robert began studies leading to his 30-year career as Professor of Plant Science to the University of Arizona. We were blessed with a son, David (Pamela) and three daughters, Carol Starr (Greg), Ann Rankin (Guy), and Janice Voigt-Oropeza (Jose).

Some of my most memorable moments have been with my grandsons: kayaking among the Orcas off San Juan Island, WA with Jeffrey Voigt (then 13) and engaging in pillow fights in hotel rooms with Brent Rankin (then 13) and Brian Starr (then 11) on “Grandma’s History Lesson” - a bus tour of America’s heritage sites.

These alone are blessings enough for anyone, but because of Robert’s University of Arizona-USAID assignment to Sanaa, Yemen in 1977, and my ten years as a travel agent, I had the opportunity to connect to many significant and beautiful places on the planet. I have walked the Acropolis, the Great Wall of China, the steps of the Tower of Pisa, the ruins of Troy and Ephesus; taken a Chinese steamer down the Yangtze River; stood on the Marib Dam and ruins of Sheba’s temple in Yemen; entered the pyramids of Egypt, climbed Mt. Vesuvius, watched the sun rise on Mt. Kilimanjaro, and witnessed the Northern Lights swirl and dance in the night sky of Alaska. I have snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef, Tahiti, Fiji, Hawaii, and the Bahamas. Here in Arizona, I have seen the Sandhill Cranes rise from the Willcox Playa at dawn, the sun rise and set of the Grand Canyon, and the stars in the night sky from Rustler’s Park atop the Chiricahua’s. I share this not with pride, but with gratitude, awe, and humility, acknowledging the wonder of God’s creation.

I tried to give as well as receive, but it was an uneven bargain. Some of the endeavors I had a part in starting include; the Catalina Terrace community swimming pool, a summer kindergarten for neighborhood children at Trinity Presbyterian Church in the 1970’s and a lobby to stop Pima County from sending children in the juvenile court system outside the state, resulting in the construction of five group homes in Tucson. I was also an ESL tutor and tutor trainer for a literacy organization, a Cub Scout Den Mother, and Girl Scout cookie station mother. --- Jane Voigt

Jane was always looking ahead to her future to ensure she retained her safety and independence in her retirement years. Her father suffered from Alzheimer’s and she felt she had a very likely chance of getting it too. She voluntarily gave up driving when her vision prevented her from seeing well enough to drive. She researched assisted living facilities and decided on one in which she would be able to stay even if her health were to significantly decline. In January 2011 she moved to a one-bedroom apartment at Amber Lights. She had only a microwave to cook with but her monthly rent included breakfast and either lunch or dinner in the dining room. She was able to take the Amber Lights van to shop and the occasional appointment. She was happy not to intrude too much on her daughters and she enjoyed her independence. Her health did eventually decline to the point she needed full-time assistance with daily living tasks. Our family is eternally grateful to the staff at Amber Lights. The caregivers were thoughtful, caring, and compassionate. Although her mind was elsewhere in her last few years, she always seemed happy and cheerful. Jane is survived by four children, three grandsons, and three great-grandsons.

 

Life is not measured by

the number of breathes we take

but by the moments that take our breath away.

 

Secret One

There is a Secret One inside us.

All the planets in all the galaxies

Pass through his hands like beads.

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