Jane W. Kitchen

Jane Shafer Wadhams Kitchen, aged 100, passed peacefully on December 30, 2025.
She was born June 18 1925, Brockport, NY, daughter of Charles and Marian Wadhams. As a girl she chased Erie Canal barges on her bike to beat them to the town lift bridge, which she rode up for the best view in town. She attended The Columbia School in Rochester, graduating in 1943 in a class of 12 girls and graduated from Wells College in 1947 with a degree in chemistry. She went to work in the chemistry labs at Cornell University after graduation and there she met John Hill Kitchen, Jr. (Bud) of Rochester, an undergraduate just out of the navy. They were married in 1948 and settled in Rochester where they raised four boys.
Jane was a life long gardener, bridge player, tennis player and community activist. She was president of the Rochester Junior League, a founding member of the Bamboo Twig, a volunteer for Planned Parenthood, the March of Dimes and an initiative to test the hearing of all newborns in Rochester. A committed supporter of the Alzheimer's Association, she participated in support groups and the long term study conducted by the University of Rochester Medical Center. She was a member of Saint Paul's Episcopal Church in Rochester where she served for many years on the vestry. In later years she was also a member of Christ Church Episcopal Church in Pittsford, NY.
An extraordinarily loyal friend, she had breakfast with her Columbia School classmates at the Rochester public market every Saturday for 7 decades. For nearly two decades she was a resident of Cloverwood Senior Living where she lived with her husband, who died in 2010. At Cloverwood she was known as a sharp bridge partner and easy dinner companion.
Predeceased by her brother, Charlie Wadhams (Anne) of Fresno, CA; and sister, Pat Crawford (Tom) of Venice Beach, FL. She is survived by her four sons, James (Jean) of Victor, ID, Donald (Susan) of Rochester, NY, John (Ellen, deceased; Janet McCormick) of Westwood, MA, and David (Sue) of Falmouth, MA; nine grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.
A funeral will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (25 Westminster Rd., Rochester), Wednesday January 7 at 10 am.