Jane Basinger

Jane B. Basinger

1933-2026

Bountiful, UT-Jane Burchell Brooks Basinger, a talented musician and beloved mother, wife, and grandmother, passed away February 26, 2026, in Bountiful, Utah, surrounded by the love of her children. She was born April 14, 1933, in Jessamine County, Kentucky, to John Aubrey and Myrtle Irene Brooks. She grew up in Nicholasville, Kentucky, and was the youngest of eight children, with two brothers and five sisters.

She was a gifted pianist and arranger and played by ear as well as reading music; people would come sing her a melody and she could play it back for them with all the chords and flourishes and then write it for them. She also was a talented singer and for many years was a member of the Utah Chorale and Utah Symphony Chorus as they performed choral masterworks with the Utah Symphony, and she was a member of Marlowe Nielsen's Pro Musica of Utah. She loved flower gardening, bird watching, family dogs, and being outdoors in nature; for her, Spirit was in nature. "Nature is just perfect, it all just fits together perfectly," she said.

She graduated from Nicholasville High School and married Charles A. Neal Jr. in Kentucky in 1955, and they later divorced. They had two children, Charles A. Neal III and Stephen B. Neal. As a young Air Force wife, she lived for brief periods in Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas. She enjoyed living in Wiesbaden, Germany, for three years, and traveling to various countries in Europe during that time.

She married Donald Arthur Basinger in San Antonio, Texas, on November 26, 1963, and they moved to Bountiful, Utah. They were married for nearly 57 years. "He was the love of my life," she often said. She enjoyed traveling with him to Greece and Germany, as well as across the United States. They had three children: Julianne, David O., and Nathan E. Basinger.

She was a devoted mother and generous listener, and she made sure every birthday and holiday was a celebration. She played piano accompaniment for all her children in their musical performances and took them to their music lessons, and she did some course work in piano and composition at the University of Utah during those years. She also conveyed to her children the wonder of nature.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Basinger, who passed away on November 13, 2020, as well as her parents and siblings. She is survived by her children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

The family will hold a private memorial service for her on March 14. In her memory, the family suggests donations to Best Friends Animal Society, at www.bestfriends.org .