Jane Carpenter

1927 - 2017

Born April 6, 1927 in Watertown, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of Rolland Earle Boucher and Elizabeth Hales Boucher. At the age of two, Jane's mother died and she and her dad went to live with her maternal grandparents until he remarried. Rolland married Dorothy McDonald and became Jane's stepmother who raised her through high school. When Jane was 5, Rolland Jr joined the family. At age 10, the family moved to Pittsfield. Jane entered Dawes Elementary School and from there she went to Plunkett School. Jane graduated from Pittsfield High School in 1945. After graduation, she worked for one year in the pattern department at General Electric where she met her long-time friend, Anna Esbig. After GE, she enrolled in the Deaconess School of Nursing, Class 1949. In her last year last 6 months of training, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis, forcing her to spend a year of bed rest in the Westfield State Sanatorium, in Westfield, Mass. At this time, Jane became engaged to her former husband David Lawrence Carpenter, while he was attending Boston University. After her release from Westfield, David and Jane were married on August 20, 1950 at the First Baptist Church in Pittsfield and moved to Symphony Rd. in Boston. Soon after their marriage, they applied for foster children at the New England Home for Little Wanderers and moved to their first home in Stoughton, Mass.

From there, Jane moved to New Haven, Connecticut, finishing her Nursing degree in 1956 from Grace New Haven School of Nursing. While going to school full time, she was a live-in cottage parent at the Children's Center, formerly the New Haven Orphan Asylum.

Jane and David moved to Gt. Barrington in the early 60's and established Vesper Hill Nursery School, a residential facility for 90 children, ages newborn to five at time of admission, with a range of disabilities.

After the sale of Vesper Hill Nursery School in 1979, Jane continued to care for handicapped children in her own home. She also continued her entrepreneurial spirit, purchasing Jonesy's Bar & Grill, Carpenter's Food & Package and the Mill River Store, while maintaining multiple rental properties in Southern Berkshire County.

Jane is survived by her son David A. Carpenter, and his wife Nancy Carpenter of New Marlborough; her son Jeffrey L. Carpenter and his wife Winona Beth Carpenter of New Marlborough, grandchildren Jeb D.Carpenter of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Jasmine B. Carpenter of Housatonic and great grandchildren Jaiden and Olivia Carpenter of Housatonic. She is also survived by her son Gregory E. Carpenter and his wife Elizabeth Carpenter of Pittsfield, grandsons Joseph P. Carpenter of Pittsfield and Zachary E. Carpenter of Waltham and great-grandsons Markus and Nathan Carpenter of Pittsfield; daughter Susan E. Wynn and her husband Charles M. Wynn, Jr. of Groton, Massachusetts, granddaughters Jordan, Hannah and Sierra Wynn, also of Groton.

She also leaves her foster daughter Deborah J. Owens of Springside Nursing Home, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She leaves her longtime friend and companion, Robert W. Gay, of New Marlborough, Massachusetts. In addition, she leaves her former sister-in-law, Betty Boucher of California, Missouri, her nieces Debbie Boucher Payne of Jefferson City, Missouri and Diane Terhune of Boise, Idaho, and her nephew David Boucher also of Boise, Idaho.

She is grateful for the support she has received from her friend Carol Esbig of Framingham, Mass.

She is predeceased by her adopted daughter, Bonnie Lynn Carpenter, her brother Rolland "Bud" Boucher, her former husband, David L. Carpenter and Anna Esbig, Jane's friend for over 69 years.

Jane had many joys in life, but some of the most cherished include watching her birds, subscribing to The Berkshire Eagle for over 45 years, her gardens, and following the adventures of her friends, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren on Facebook and email.

SERVICES: A Graveside Service for Jane Carpenter will be held on Saturday October 21 at 11:00 AM at the New Marlborough Cemetery in New Marlborough MA. Family will receive friends on Thursday October 19 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the BIRCHES-ROY FUNERAL HOME 33 South Street Great Barrington MA 01230.

In lieu of flowers expressions of sympathy in Jane's memory may be made to Soldier On in care of the funeral home.

Condolences may be made through birchesroyfuneralservices.com