Mrs Jane Conboy Burns

Jane "Janey" Conboy Burns
April 29, 1935 – November 13, 2025
McLean, Virginia
With deep affection and love, the family of Jane "Janey" Conboy Burns announces her peaceful passing due to complications related to dementia. Janey departed this world surrounded by family and the music, laughter, and warmth that defined her ninety incredible years.
Born on April 29, 1935, in Utica, New York, Janey was the cherished daughter of Albert Joseph and Mary MacDougall Conboy. Her formative years in upstate New York, especially the joyful summers spent at camp, sparked a lifelong devotion to the outdoors. Janey had a deep love of nature and delighted in time spent outdoors, especially near water. Whether walking or simply sitting outside, she reveled in the colors, scents, and sounds of the natural world.
A graduate of the University of Michigan in 1957, Janey remained a fierce and proud Wolverine for life. Her pride in her alma mater knew no bounds. She was often heard spontaneously belting out "Hail to the Victors" sometimes followed by a round of camp songs, much to the mortified amusement of her children and she wore her Michigan pride (and maize and blue gear) with gusto.
In 1958, Janey married Francis Joseph "Joby" Burns, with whom she shared a 36-year marriage before their divorce in 1994. Though their paths diverged, their shared journey brought three beloved children into the world. Francis preceded her in death in 2000.
Janey's zest for life took her to cities across the globe, including London, Zurich, Rome, Madrid, and Mexico City and she embraced each new home with an open heart, a curious spirit, and a flair for making fast friends and lasting impressions. These experiences shaped her as both a citizen of the world and a compassionate educator. She later dedicated her career to teaching English as a Second Language in New Jersey, where she made a significant impact on the lives of many students.
To know Janey was to experience unfiltered joy, generous love, irrepressible wit, and music that often broke out at unexpected moments. Her warmth, beauty, and laughter touched everyone lucky enough to cross her path and her ability to truly listen, with patience, empathy, and unwavering attention, made everyone around her feel seen, heard, and valued. Whether you were a longtime friend or a new acquaintance, Janey had a way of making you feel instantly welcomed and at ease. Her deep compassion wasn't just a trait; it was the core of how she moved through the world.
Her life was a source of comfort and connection to many, and her absence will be profoundly felt. But the grace with which she treated others lives on in those who knew her best. Her children and grandchildren will carry forward her legacy, honoring the example she set, and they will strive to model the same warmth, humility, and kindness that defined her every interaction.
Janey was predeceased by her beloved parents and her adored brother, Captain Thomas Conboy, USN (Ret.), with whom she shared an especially close bond. Tom's service and character inspired in Janey a deep, abiding sense of patriotism and a lifelong respect for the military and those who serve.
She is survived by her loving children, including Susan (Burns) Comey and her husband Peter of Vienna, VA; Andrew Burns and his wife Liza of Gig Harbor, WA and Jennifer (Burns) Webster and her husband Stephen of Denver, CO. She was the proud and adoring grandmother of Caroline, Tommy, and Julia Comey; Drew and Finnegan Webster; and William Burns, each of whom cherished their "Mimi" and all her antics.
Janey's life mattered profoundly, and the love she gave so freely remains a lasting gift to us all. She was, in every sense, unforgettable.
A private celebration of Janey's life will be held by family and close friends in her home town of Utica, NY
at a later date.