Jane Graff Daymude

1922 - 2020

Jane Graff Daymude was born Ezelda Amelia Graff on April 22, 1922 at the French Hospital on Orleans Avenue in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jane is the daughter of Izetta Lamulle Graff and Conrad Warren Graff, and is related to the Richard and Vorhoff Families. Jane was the second of two children, and the sister to Conrad Warren Graff. Raised in the family home that her paternal grandfather built on North White Street in Mid-City. Jane was baptized into the Roman Catholic Faith at St. Joseph Church on Tulane Avenue. For her Sacrament of Confirmation, Jane chose as her Patroness, Saint Lucy. Jane graduated from Howard Elementary School and then completed her secondary school education at the Esplanade School for Girls and attended Tulane University. Jane was a parishioner of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish on Canal Street. Her youth was that of school, learning, local adventure and love of family, neighbors and neighborhood. She was raised in the French traditions as her maternal grandfather was born in Paris, France and schooled in music at the Sorbonne University. French was the first language spoken in her home, yet she later decided that English was a better choice in her neighborhood. Her paternal great-grandfather fought in the U. S. Civil War. Jane rode horses at Audubon Park and played tennis with her friends on the courts of City Park. Jane was so skilled at finding the freshest produce and best cuts of meat from the local shops and stores that she became the chief procurer of groceries for her family and all of her neighbors. During World War II, Jane worked for the National Weather Service and the U.S. Navy at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport launching and monitoring weather balloons. She loved reading and claimed to have read 'Gone with the Wind' in one sitting. By reputation, she was always cheerful and happy. Jane bid farewell to her brother, Conrad, once a three letter all star athlete at Jesuit High School, when he joined the U.S. Army. One day, a number of years later, a large car pulled up in front of their home in late July of 1944, and several uniformed military officers announced to her and her parents that Staff Sergeant Conrad W. Graff had been killed in action at the Battle of St. Lo. Jane turned her grief and sorrow into action and service by moving to Washington, D.C. after the War ended to participate in the post war effort by working for the American Red Cross as an ambulance driver. Along with the wives of Senators and Congressmen, she greeted and transported returning members of the Military from Europe. She was one of the early members of the Louisiana State Society, sponsor of the annual Washington Ball. In Washington D.C., she met and fell in love with Lt. Howard William Seeschaf, U.S.N, a handsome U.S. Navy aviator from New York, New York. They dated and regularly danced to the big band music of Glen Miller, Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey on the rooftop of the Shoreham Hotel and other fabulous venues around our nation's capital. They were engaged and then married, when after, he was ordered to report to Port Lyautey, Morocco. All of their possessions, including the Buick convertible were shipped overseas. Just before Jane's departure, she was notified that Lt. Seeschaf, who was the co-pilot of a flat black painted, no insignia, PBY4-2 PRIVATEER with a crew of ten and the latest ELINT technology, were declared missing and presumed shot down by Soviet jet fighters over the Baltic Sea on April 8, 1950. This international event would become known as the Baltic Sea Incident, the first spyplane shootdown of the Cold War. The plane and crew were never recovered. Despite being a POW-MIA and not having been found, Howard remained the love of her life. Thus, another loved one in service to their country, to whom she had said goodbye, would not return to her. Jane married Donald Walter Jarrell in 1951 and gave birth to their daughter, Mary Jiles Jarrell in December of 1952. Unfortunately, this union would not last. Jane met Eugene Leonard Daymude of Kensington, Maryland in 1955 and later married. A son, Eugene Conrad Daymude was born to them. The family of four moved to New Orleans and returned to Jane's Family home on North White Street in December of 1960, when Gene chose to pursue a career in art. Despite difficulties and disagreements over the years, Jane remained respectful, encouraging and supportive of Gene and his career in painting throughout his life until he passed on Christmas Day in 1995. Jane enjoyed taking her children to many of New Orleans historic locales, churches, museums, theaters and restaurants with drives through old neighborhoods and expressive storytelling, imbuing them with the rich, fascinating and sophisticated history of her birthplace. She taught them about faith, food, music, French, German, American and New Orleans tradition and culture. Jane, in fine fashion and dressed with hat and gloves, brought her children on the Canal Streetcar downtown on most Saturday mornings to shop at Maison Blanche, D.H. Holmes, Graff's, Red Goose Shoes and other stores on the great and busy street. Lunch at Kolb's and the D.H. Holmes restaurant teaching her children proper etiquette and good manners. She would bring her children to Royal Street and Magazine Street to look at art and antiques and Dryades Street to let her children pick out their costumes for Mardi Gras and Halloween. Jane and Gene purchased a home for their family on Louisville Street in Lakeview in 1966 from Dawn Higgins Murphy, the daughter of Andrew Higgins of D-Day renown. The family would maintain this residence for forty-three years until they sold the property in 2009. Jane had a beautiful understanding of volunteerism, working at the Sacred Heart High School and Elementary School cafeteria at lunch to happily surprise and greet her daughter and son, the school newspaper drives, and as a Girl Scout Den Mother. She was an election pollster at Warren Easton High School for many years. She loved her dogs over the years, Toby, the English Springer Spaniel, Mactavish, the black-haired Scottish terrier and Sport, the elegant and rambunctious Irish Setter. She painted the occasional still-life and wrote the once in a while inspirational poem or prose. One of her favorite poems was 'Trees' by Joyce Kilmer. Jane loved gardening, bridge, dancing, cooking, and playing piano, which she learned from Mrs. Bouchon on Canal Street in Mid-City when she was a young girl. Mrs. Bouchon also encouraged Jane to learn and play the game of Bridge which became one of her greatest lifelong passions. Over the decades, she played Bridge weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at Chateau Estates Country Club, Metairie Country Club, Metairie Senior Center and wherever her and her fellow bridgemates could get four tables together for a day of serious play and points. Singing with the St. Dominic's choir, checking out armfuls of books from the Robert E. Smith Library, going to the Shape Spa in Lakeview, taking her mother shopping all over town and caring for her until she passed. Jane loved the United States of America, respected the U.S. Armed Forces and honored the American flag which she proudly flew on the front porch of her home on all appropriate occasions. She greatly enjoyed the 1984 Louisiana World's Fair and purchased season passes. Jane was a life long realtor specializing in residential properties in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. She began her real estate career in Washington, D.C., let it lapse then resumed her vocation in 1971 with Grady Harper and later with Gertrude Gardner. She maintained her realtors license and worked for forty years selling residential property from St. Charles Avenue to David Drive. She received numerous awards for her work. On August 29, 2005, she rode out Hurricane Katrina with her Son at their Lakeview home and she personally experienced and witnessed the twelve plus feet of floodwaters fill her home and neighborhood and breach the the third level of the structure. She and her Son were airlifted by Coast Guard helicopter from the rooftop of her home to the Superdome, where they remained for a couple of days until they moved to the New Orleans Arena then convoyed by bus to the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. Jane returned to New Orleans and lived in an apartment on historic Julia Row before settling in Metairie for the next eleven years. Jane lived the last few years of her life with her Son on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, California. A window seat view of the Pacific with ocean breezes and spectacular sunsets that provided her with the opportunity to reflect on a long life well lived with strong and lasting memories of joy, sorrow and much happiness. Jane Graff Daymude passed away at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California on the morning of October 19, 2020. Jane was a longtime parishioner of St. Dominic Parish from the late 1960's to the present, a member of the National Association of Realtors, Jefferson Board of Realtors, Million Dollar Club - Life Member, Lakeview Civic Organization, Lakeview Botany Guild, National World War II Museum, Smithsonian Museum, New Orleans Art Association, Conrad W. Graff VFW Post. American Red Cross, Santa Monica Bay Women's Club, and numerous other social, civic and professional organizations. Jane is survived by her daughter, Mary Jiles Roberts of Orange Park, Florida and her Son, Eugene Conrad Daymude of Santa Monica, California, her Grandchildren, Wendy Marie Roberts and Charles Eugene Roberts of Orange Park, Florida and Catherine Jane Daymude of Chattanooga, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. Jane will be memorialized with a private service on Monday, November 9th, at 9:30am at Holy Cross Mortuary in Culver City, California. We would like to thank Mr. Gino Gorostieta for his professional advices. Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial on Wednesday, November 11, 2020 in New Orleans that begins with the recitation of the Rosary and visitation at 10am followed by a Holy Requiem Mass at 11am at St. Dominic Church, 775 Harrison Avenue in Lakeview with interment afterwards in the Graff Family Tomb at Greenwood Cemetery. Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home will provide the care and administration of these ceremonies. We thank Mr. Guy Poché for his professional advices. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the soul of Jane Graff Daymude and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. Any donations in Jane's name can be made to the charity of your choice. To view and sign the guest book, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com.