Jayne Francis Gourley Karsten

1924 - 2023

It is with great sorrow, but also with deep gratitude for the life of a truly remarkable woman, that the loving family of Jayne Francis Gourley Karsten, shares the news of her passing at the age of 98. Born as the only child of a single mother during the Roaring Twenties in the boomtown of Oklahoma City, raised in the Dustbowl during the Great Depression and honed and tempered by World War II, Jayne embodied the sturdy optimism of her mother, the steely discipline of her grandmother, and the adventurous joy of her father and grandfather throughout her life. She instilled these attributes in her children and grandchildren, who have all tried to follow her lead. Her dance career and brief but notable experience in Hollywood has been chronicled in newspaper profiles and interviews but her greatest achievement was bringing out the very best in people either through her love of dance or during her 70 magnificent years in the classroom. Jayne excelled at both the high school and university level, in locations throughout the US, as she raised her four children with the love of her life, her University of Michigan college sweetheart, Harold "Hal" Karsten. Jayne had a twinkle in her eye, a captivating smile, a profound respect for, and unparalleled command of, classic literature, and a true passion for teaching - whether it be Moby Dick, Wordsworth and Dickens, the intricate dance steps of tango or flamenco, or just how to put one foot in front of another in order to tackle the vagaries of Life. She believed you could accomplish whatever you set your mind to, and she made you believe it, too. After Hal's unexpected passing at the young age of 59, in 1986, Jayne relocated to Annapolis, Maryland, expanding what had been a part-time position at the National Endowment for the Humanities into a full-time position as a grants program officer. During this time, she also began consulting with the Kennedy Center's ground-breaking program, ArtsEdge, developing resources for secondary school teachers. In the process, at age 70, she taught herself how to use a computer and began developing webpages that became among the most popular sites published by the Kennedy Center. Highly accessible resources and focused curriculum became available to all who searched the internet on subjects ranging from the Harlem Renaissance, John Steinbeck, Martha Graham, William Faulkner, and Yeats, for whom Jayne traveled to Ireland in order to delve into original source material. She also served on the Design Committee for the Hirschhorn Museum in Washington DC, and was an adjunct consultant on the US Capital Building History project. In 1988, she retired yet again but to keep herself at least a little active, she began teaching for two hours per week at The Key School in Annapolis, Maryland, a Pre-K-12 private school affiliated with St. John's College School of Great Books. Within two years, she was acting head of the Upper School, successfully shepherding Key's ten-year re-accreditation process during her three years in that role. She was also teaching full time her landmark course on American Civilization, various dance technique and history classes, and creative writing while collaborating with fellow Key School educators on an adjunct program called European Civilization. She continued her passion for choreography, enriching local community theaters and her beloved students at The Key School - as she had done wherever she had taught - with a level of expertise, professionalism and elan rarely available at the secondary level. By the time of her sixth and final retirement at age 92 in 2017, Jayne had taught at The Key School for 27 years, as well as authoring the history of The Key School in celebration of its 50th anniversary, Through Many Eyes. Jayne is preceded in death by her husband, Harold J. Karsten, Jr., and her eldest son, Scott Karsten of Glastonbury, CT, who died in January 2021. She is survived by her remaining children and their spouses; Tracey Karsten Farrell (Glenn) of Lafayette, CA; Jill Karsten (Rodey Batiza) of Eden Prairie, MN; and Kurt Karsten (Michelle Smith) of Annapolis, Maryland; her former daughter-in-law, Deborah Corley of Annapolis, MD; her grandchildren: Caitlin Echelbarger (Nicholas), Shannon Baskauskas (Brian), Devon Kufske (Brad), Julia Karsten, Travis Batiza (Alyssa Curlee), Conrad Karsten, Nora Karsten (Chris Olsen), Emma Karsten, Garrett Karsten, Rodey Batiza (Anna Wang), Eric Batiza (Molly), Nick Lapides (Julia), Nathan Lapides, eight great-grandchildren: Helen, Chase, Jack, Cole, Claire, Reid, Logan and Kyle, and her niece Barbara Jean (John) Rose and great-niece AJ. It is with deep gratitude that Jayne's children thank Tammy, Lori, Lisa, Sasha, Renee, Betsy, and Lateera, who, with their dedication, support, and loving care these past few years, are certainly now considered part of Jayne's extended family. Jayne's former students often remarked "I had no confidence, but then Mrs. Karsten took me under her wing." It is a sentiment that resonates within our family. We will forever miss her love, encouragement, and faith in each of us. For the full obituary of our mother's extraordinary life, please visit https://www.hardestyfuneralhome.com/obituaries. A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. Donations commemorating Jayne's lifelong dedication to education and dance can be made to the Jayne Karsten Fund for the Humanities at keyschool.org.