Jane Charlotte Bouchard

Love you Mum.

I'm so sorry I never got the chance to tell you when you were alive; but you saved me...you took me in, showed me unconditional love and modeled proper parental behavior, which carried me through my lifetime. You are a my Hero. Thank you.

Jane and John at the Arboretum in 2022.

Jane and John Volunteering at Lillico Beach Conservation area, helping to protect the little penguin colony.

Jane was a dearly loved friend for over 20 years. I will always remember Jane as a very kind person, artistic, loving music and singing, knitting for family and friends, drawing flowers and loving the outdoors, it's birds, animals and trees etc. She will be sorely missed.

Jane loved to sing and agreed to sing at our wedding a few years ago. As we walked down the aisle she sang "I only want to be with you" alone and then after the official bits were done she sang in harmony with Michelle "Perfect Day" - her first, and probably only, performance of a Lou Reed song. Such a generous and joyful person.

Fond memories, a lovely lady at rest. Our condolences to John and her extended family.

This is the invite our step-sister Jen has created for the memorial gathering she areanged in recognition of Jane's life in Australia.

I´d like to send my condolences and Prayers for comfort for your whole family.
Unfortunately I never had the honor of meeting Jane but her son Jasper is my best friend, and now after reading this beautiful testimony to her life I see where he gets his love for adventure life singing people etc.
Your mother was such a beautiful woman outside and inside. The love of her family and all of her families love for her is so touching!
My thoughts and Prayers go out to all of you and may your mom RIP
God bless you all

My Mother-in-Law Jane. Loving and caring and smiley. John won her Heart.
She will be missed by her Large Family.
Peace in Heaven

One of my last phone calls with mom she asked me if I was still writing poetry. I stated to her I had not written in a few months because all I had to offer the paper was negative political thoughts of the world lately. I told her she inspired me to write a positive poem and the next time I talked with her I would read that to her. So I did write that positive poem and it happened to be about her. She was the positive parent that shined a light through my childhood. The poem is as follows.

Storm Watcher

Jane is Alive
My Mother
Her light dances in the warmth of her smile
Swirls around her giggle.
Sails on the sparkle of her eyes

Her love an
Ethereal rainbow of
Light threads
Cradles our hearts

Infused with our memories
She walks with us
Always by our side.

Nurturing mother
Bundling our
Child bodies
preventing winter frostbite

Tangerines in pockets
Dressed just right for
Frigid weather
Looking like
6 Plumed
Fluffy baby owls

Back woods trek
Frozen pond skating
Hours upon hours

Almost Dusk
Almost frostbite
Cold numbing fingers
Loss of feeling in toes
Walking
Longing for home

Anticipating
Mom´s homemade
Pan simmered
Hot Chocolate
Forming milk skin
with marshmallows
Mom greets us in the kitchen
Where her loving arms are
Outstretched

She watches the storms roll in
Purple green skies highlight
Angry dark achromatic clouds
Hang over the picnic table
Where she sits atop

Greeting mother nature
Her spirit connection
Her meditation.
Understanding her peace
Flowing with the natural world

Nature walks
Communing with birds
Counting her steps into
Forest Bliss
Walking back refreshed and recharged.

Embracing American Indian Culture
Knowledge
Historical archaeology
Excavations

Her delectation of singing
Harmonizing in song
Choir synchronicity

Jane is Alive
My Mother
Creating
Expressing
Numerous techniques
Water coloring
Knitting
Bobbin Lace
Botanical Art

When my mother chooses
She will move
Into the Great Unknown
Remembering all
Before this life time

She will create
An extraordinary
Brass dinner bell
In Shangri-la

Time will pass for us six
We will move on too
Tangerines in our pockets
Dressed just right for
Stormy Weather

She will prepare 6 times
Our childhood favorite recipe
Simmered spaghetti sauce
Sautéed Spanish onions
Ground beef, Italian Sausage
Aromatic Bay-Leaves, Oregano
A trail of fragrant steam
Tantalizing our appetites

We will smell the spaghetti dinner
We will search for the dinner bell´s
Proclamation Tone
Bong! Bong! Bong!

Leading us back
To her dining room
Where her loving arms are
Outstretched

"Welcome Home"
She will tenderly say
in the land of
Shangri-la

I´m so sorry for the loss of such a special person. I´ll always remember the special times at family get-togethers with her and my cousins-her laughter, her smile, and the way she made everything more fun. She brought so much warmth and joy to every gathering, and those memories will always stay with me.

My mother (Jane) asked me if I was still writing poems and I told her I had stopped for a few months becausse all I was writing about was negative polotics. So I told her she gave me the inspiration to write a positive poem and it happened to be about her. She was the parent that always guided me with light and positivity. The poem is below.


Storm Watcher

Jane is Alive
My Mother
Her light dances in the warmth of her smile
Swirls around her giggle.
Sails on the sparkle of her eyes

Her love an
Ethereal rainbow of
Light threads
Cradles our hearts

Infused with our memories
She walks with us
Always by our side.

Nurturing mother
Bundling our
Child bodies
preventing winter frostbite

Tangerines in pockets
Dressed just right for
Frigid weather
Looking like
6 Plumed
Fluffy baby owls

Back woods trek
Frozen pond skating
Hours upon hours

Almost Dusk
Almost frostbite
Cold numbing fingers
Loss of feeling in toes
Walking
Longing for home

Anticipating
Mom´s homemade
Pan simmered
Hot Chocolate
Forming milk skin
with marshmallows
Mom greets us in the kitchen
Where her loving arms are
Outstretched

She watches the storms roll in
Purple green skies highlight
Angry dark achromatic clouds
Hang over the picnic table
Where she sits atop

Greeting mother nature
Her spirit connection
Her meditation.
Understanding her peace
Flowing with the natural world

Nature walks
Communing with birds
Counting her steps into
Forest Bliss
Walking back refreshed and recharged.

Embracing American Indian Culture
Knowledge
Historical archaeology
Excavations

Her delectation of singing
Harmonizing in song
Choir synchronicity

Jane is Alive
My Mother
Creating
Expressing
Numerous techniques
Water coloring
Knitting
Bobbin Lace
Botanical Art

When my mother chooses
She will move
Into the Great Unknown
Remembering all
Before this life time

She will create
An extraordinary
Brass dinner bell
In Shangri-la

Time will pass for us six
We will move on too
Tangerines in our pockets
Dressed just right for
Stormy Weather

She will prepare 6 times
Our childhood favorite recipe
Simmered spaghetti sauce
Sauted Spanish onions
Ground beef, Italian Sausage
Aromatic Bay-Leaves, Oregano
A trail of fragrant steam
Tantalizing our appetites

We will smell the spaghetti dinner
We will search for the dinner bell´s
Proclamation Tone
Bong! Bong! Bong!

Leading us back
To her dining room
Where her loving arms are
Outstretched

"Welcome Home"
She will tenderly say
in the land of
Shangri-la