Jane Tillinghast Roberts

Jane Tillinghast Roberts of Providence, RI, and formerly of Little Compton, RI, and Stowe, VT, passed away on August 31, 2025, at the age of 83. Jane was born March 25, 1942, in Englewood, NJ, to Charles and Lizette Tillinghast. She grew up in Bronxville, NY, and graduated from Bronxville High School. Jane went on to become a creative force, bringing art and beauty into the world.



In the early 1960s, Jane and Wally Roberts, the father of her children, Amy, Alex and Tyler, moved to Providence, RI. Jane and her children then moved to Stowe, Vermont, in 1969, where she resided for thirty years. Jane was renowned for her creativity, generosity of spirit, elegance and astute business acumen. In the early 1970s, she opened Design Fare, Stowe's first high-end women's fashion store. The success of Design Fare certainly testified to her entrepreneurial talents.



After she sold Design Fare, Jane pursued her love of visual art. She studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, Columbia University, NY, and later at the Arts Student League of New York. For many years, she was considered one of Vermont's leading artists, serving on several art-advisory boards throughout the state. She also served for a number of years as the curator of the T.R. Wood Gallery in Montpeliar. Before leaving Vermont, Jane led various projects at Stowe's Trapp Family Lodge, including the establishment of the lodge's museum.



In the mid-nineties, Jane and fellow Stowe resident Clint Thompson became a couple. They moved to Little Compton, RI, in 2000, and were married in September of that year. Together, they built and designed a beautiful home surrounded by gardens, and later opened the largest Peony farm in New England. They were active in the Little Compton community and made lasting friendships. While living in Little Compton, Jane was recognized by the National Garden Club for her expertise of plant life and her curation of enchanting gardens.



In 2018, Jane left Little Compton and moved to Laurelmeade, an independent-living cooperative in Providence. Everywhere she lived she made wonderful friends and became recognized for her artistry and devotion to gardens; her time at Laurelmeade was no exception.



Following in her mother and grandmother's footsteps, Jane joined the Providence Art Club, where she furthered her pursuits in painting and print making. She joined a group of print makers who collaborated on a portfolio of work that is now housed at the Smithsonian Institution. Jane's contributions to the portfolio are part of the Providence Art Club's permanent collection.



Jane loved to gather friends and family, to organize trips and parties, dinners and adventures. Her homes and her gardens were vibrant and unique -- full of color and light and an elegance accorded by the warmth and comfort of her being. Her children, her grandchildren, her guests and her many beloved pets filled these spaces. She loved the beach, she loved the beauty of the natural world. Her curiosity always kept her reading and traveling, attending lectures, asking questions, questioning answers, all in effort to learn more of the world and the people and creatures in it. She spread kindness and warmth as a flower spreads its seeds. Her belief in the essential goodness of people never wavered.



Jane is preceded in death by her son Alexander Tillinghast Roberts (1993) and her son Tyler Tillinghast Roberts (2021); her beloved husband, Clint Thompson (2012); her older brother, Jody Tillinghast; and her parents, Charles and Lizette Tillinghast. Her companion of the last few years, Cal Oyer, passed away in March 2025.



Jane is survived by her daughter, Amy M. Roberts of Scarborough, Maine; her beloved Grandchildren from Tyler -- Madeleine Adelaide Roberts, Emma Gwendolyn Roberts and William Alexander Roberts; Tyler's widow Shuchi Kapila and Shuchi's daughter, Shivani Subbramanian; her step daughters Cami Thompson and Leslie Hall and their families; her sisters Anne Tilliinghast and Elizabeth Nadeau; her nieces, nephews and their children; and all the friends she made throughout her life.



Jane gave often and generously to the Good Shepard Food Bank. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to your local food bank.



Services for Jane Roberts will be held on October 25, 2025, at 11am at the Redwood Chapel in Swan Point Cemetery. Following the service, there will be a reception from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at Laurelmeade. Please bring any of Jane's art to share and there will be easels available. For online guestbook, visit: OlsonParent.com.