Jane Fildey Tugurian

Nashville, TN - Never one to sit still for long, Jane will be deeply missed by those whose lives she touched. Known as Jane to her friends and co-workers, Janie to her beloved sister, Anne, Mrs. T to Linda's Pearl High and Bill's Hillsboro High families, L'il Bit, to her friends at Brookdale Cumberland, and most affectionately Mom, Gram, or Aunt Jane to her family, she was a force to be reckoned with.

Jane was born in Malone, NY to Dr. Harold and Vadna Fildey. She and her sister, Anne, traveled the world, beginning in China as children while their father served as a missionary. During World War II, they spent 37 months as political prisoners of war in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines, and were liberated by the Americans in 1945. The family returned to New York. Shortly after her dad completed his doctorate at Columbia, Dr. Fildey joined the faculty of the Oberlin Graduate School of Theology and the family moved to Oberlin, OH. Jane was a proud graduate of Oberlin High School and attended both Carleton and Oberlin Colleges, majoring in Art History. She moved to Nashville as a single mom with two small children (Linda and Bill) in 1966 just after the merger of the Oberlin Graduate School of Theology and the Vanderbilt Divinity School.

Her 43 year career at Vanderbilt began in the Dean of Men's Office in Kirkland Hall, continued in the Economics Department and The Graduate School of Management (now the Owen School of Management), and culminated at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she served as executive assistant to three vice chancellors: Dr. Vernon Wilson, Dr. Ike Robinson, and Dr. Harry Jacobson. Ask anyone who knew her during her time at the medical center: Jane Tugurian ran the place. If you needed something done- organization of a world class event, a small kindness navigating the hospital, an employee celebration, a hard-to-get appointment, a job at Vanderbilt, or installation of a balloon arch at Children's Hospital, Jane knew how to get it done (and did). Quite simply, you didn't say "no" to Jane Tugurian.

Jane was generous of her time and treasure and loved spending time with friends and family traveling the world. She loved the beach better than any place in the world (except maybe Paris or Rome or New York City). She loved collecting shells, especially in Sanibel, where she could be found roaming the roads of Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in the early morning hours searching for herons, storks, ibis, spoonbills, and egrets with her best friend Linda Donovan. In Nashville, she was a fixture at Sonobana and Margot's restaurants, cranberry and Tito's in hand (always in a tall glass). She loved collecting black dragon cloisonné and could recognize good art in a flat second, championing a number of young artists in Nashville. She had the soundtrack to every Stephen Sondheim musical ever written (and knew most of the lyrics by heart). And, although her friends crossed political lines, Jane is rumored to have only voted for one Republican in her life (let the guessing begin). Republicans, according to a favorite magnet on her refrigerator, "have bad hair."

She will be missed by many, many friends as well as her family: daughter, Dr. Linda Tugurian; son, Bill Tugurian, and his wife, Alex Tugurian; niece, Bethany Stempien, nephew Jorn Ake; grandchildren, Tim Tippens (wife Emily), Rachal Passer (husband Ryan), Teresa Tippens (husband Jon Wambolt), and Dr. Morganne Dulin (husband Shane), great grandchildren, Luca Tippens, Poppy Jo Tippens, Dean Dulin, Zelda Tippens Wambolt, and Beatrix Passer, and her sweet Marlene Dietrich (last in a long line of miniature schnauzers- the only breed of dog a person should ever have).

A celebration of life will be held this summer. Family and friends can individually honor her memory by raising a glass in toast to a life well lived and by having the courage to do the right thing by others. To those so inclined, donations in her memory can be made to Alive Hospice, or any charity of choice dedicated to community service, protecting the environment, or promoting social equality and justice.