Jane Ware Simpkins

HENDERSON, NEVADA - It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Jane Ware Donohue Simpkins, who died February 16, 2026, at the age of 95. Jane was born August 27, 1930, in Brewer, Maine, the first of three daughters of Paul C. Ware and Ida (Harriman) Ware. She spent much of her childhood in West Gardiner, Maine, a place she always considered home. Even after many years away, she lovingly referred to herself as "Jane from Maine."

Jane loved school and graduated from Gardiner High School in 1948. She received her B.A. from Farmington State Teachers College in 1952. There, she was an avid athlete and a valuable member of the women's basketball team, known for her rebounding skills. After graduating in 1952, she began her teaching career as a 4th grade teacher in Bath, Maine. In 1953, Jane moved to Long Island, NY and continued teaching 4th grade. She married and became the mother of 5 children, whom she loved with all her heart. The family moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1968, where she continued to raise five children, at times as a single mother, with resilience, independence, and deep devotion to family.

Her love of reading and learning shaped her life. Passionate about helping children succeed, she returned to college in her fifties and earned a Master's degree in Education, with an emphasis in reading, from Western Michigan University in 1973. That commitment to children led to a career with the Michigan Department of Social Services, where she worked in Children's Protective Services for 15 years. Through this work, she helped protect and advocate for countless children facing abuse and neglect, a legacy of compassion that defined much of her professional life. She retired in 1989.

In retirement, Jane enjoyed many happy years at Lake Fairways in Fort Myers, Florida, with the love of her life, her husband George "Jack" Simpkins, until his passing in 2006. She later moved into memory care. In 2014, she relocated to Henderson, Nevada, where she received compassionate care throughout the final chapter of her life.

Jane cherished children, especially her own family. She is survived by her five children: Mark R. Donohue and his wife Moira (Halloran) Donohue; Carol J. (Donohue) Gephart and her husband Gregory Gephart; Paul J. Donohue and his wife Renee Donohue; Richard M. Donohue and his wife Sheryl (Huitt) Donohue; and Peter C. Donohue. She leaves six grandchildren, all of whom grew up surrounded by books and were encouraged to love reading. She also leaves many nieces and nephews both in Maine and in the New York area. Her sisters, Joyce (Ware) Willoughby and Lois (Ware) Thurston, preceded her in death.

A graveside service will be held in Maine, on a date to be determined, through Staples Funeral Home.

Family and friends are warmly invited to share memories and photos in celebration of Jane's life at www.staplesfuneralhome.com.