Jane Day

1930 - 2016

Dr. Jane Stevenson Day died peacefully in Denver, Colorado, on May 24, 2016, at 86. Jane was born on April 8, 1930, in Webster Groves, Missouri, to Louis Carr Stevenson and Ellen Douglas Houston. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from The Colorado College in 1951 with a degree in English. She married Horace Eames Day, her college sweetheart and Denver businessman, in 1951. After raising her children she returned to school, earning her M.A.in Anthropology/Museum Studies and her Ph.D.in Archaeology from the University of Colorado, ultimately becoming the first female Chief Curator of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, where through diligent stewardship she earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues and peers. She developed and curated numerous exhibitions, including "Costa Rica: Art and Archaeology of the Rich Coast" and the national-award-winning 1992 exhibit "Aztec: The World of Moctezuma". She was a pioneer in her profession and always a generous mentor to younger women in the field who sought her advice. Following her retirement in 1995, she served as Chief Curator Emeritus and Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology. She authored extensive publications and papers in the field of Mesoamerican archaeology and was active in professional organizations in both archaeology and museology. In the Denver community she was associated with two major universities as an adjunct professor and was appointed to serve on regional and state committees and boards by the Governor and Mayor. She continued to engage as a scholar, a consulting curator and an educator for adult audiences through popular lectures and archaeological trips to sites throughout the world. Jane was a dedicated lifelong learner, avid reader and traveler, which passions she shared with her children and grandchildren, by whom she was adored. She was also an active and generous local philanthropist, firmly believing that "charity begins at home". Other affiliations included the Denver Art Museum, the Colorado History Museum, the Friends of the Denver Public Library, the Alianza de las Artes Americanas, the Mile-High Club, the University Club and Denver Eclectics. She is survived by her daughters Ellen Sommer, Cynthia Sauvage, Kathleen Hoenig and Amy Day; her nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren, and her sister Clare Brown of Hillsborough, California. Jane's service is to be held at 11am on June 17 at Wellshire Presbyterian Church at 2999 South Colo. Blvd., with a reception to follow. All are welcome to attend and celebrate her life. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to The Denver Hospice, 501 So. Cherry St., Suite 700, Denver 80246. The family would like to thank her caregivers and Denver Hospice for their devotion to Jane's comfort during her final transition.