Jane Marie Andersen

1959 - 2024

Jane Marie Andersen
09/22/1959 - 12/28/2024
An Incredible woman, a bright light to all who knew her, Jane Marie Andersen passed away peacefully on December 28, 2024, at home in her beloved Berkeley, surrounded by her family. We have lost a truly special person, whose life of accomplishment and service, to her family, friends and communities both large and small, will never be forgotten.
Jane was born as the fourth child of Leslie and Veronica (Kelly) Andersen, in Ft. Belvoir, VA, on September 22, 1959. Jane's was an Air Force family, and her childhood was spent in Virginia, Alabama, Germany, and then London, England, all with older brothers Greg and Mark and Jane's protector, her sister Lisa. Too young for American schools, Jane attended St. Philomena's convent where there were three uniforms a day. Jane's childhood was spent largely outdoors, in woods and copses, beginning her lifelong love of nature.
In 1968, Jane's family moved to Oklahoma, first in Midwest City and then Oklahoma City. Jane attended Sacred Heart School, then St. Philip Neri's middle school and Mount Saint Mary's high school. A clarinetist, Jane marched in the marching band and played in an award-winning jazz band, all the while beginning a life of academic excellence and achievement. The Andersen family home was a center of everyone's social lives, and Jane's teenage years were filled with fun and adventures with family and friends.
After high school, Jane set off for the University of Notre Dame, where she was in the fifth class of women ever admitted. Jane was again in the jazz band and founded a record store. She graduated with highest honors in civil engineering, leading to a full scholarship for a Masters in Structural Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Jane accepted, and in August of 1981 drove off to California.
On her first evening in Berkeley, Jane met Michael Timpane. They quickly fell madly in love, and after four years of courtship were married in April 1986. This led to 37+ years of blissful marriage, blessed by three fantastic children- Veronica, Marcus and Peter.
Jane began her accomplished engineering career at the firm of Toft and DeNevers. Jane designed a little bit of everything, from curtainwalls to seawalls. After a few years of practice, Jane took and passed the rigorous Structural Engineering exam and became a registered P.E. and S.E. in California, one of the early women to become an S.E. in the state.
It was at this time that Jane created a magical journey for herself and Michael, a trip around the world. The couple traveled for nine months, to China, Australia, New Zealand, Bali, Thailand, Nepal, Kenya and Tanzania, where they climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Memories for a lifetime, magic spun by Jane.
Upon returning, Jane resumed her career at the firm of Wiss, Janney, Elstner. Jane became a member of the board of directors for the SEA of California, and worked on prominent engineering projects, among them the structural evaluation and repair of the KTLA studio in Los Angeles (while the Jeopardy show continued to film) and the façade restoration of the Russ Building.
In 1995, Jane gave birth to her daughter Veronica, followed in 1998 by son Marcus and 2004 by youngest son Peter. Jane became a full-time mother, "Mummy" to her family. At the children's preschool, Jane engineered and built a new hillside and playground. At the K-12 school, Jane was "the one parent who welcomed my family and I to the school" and was in the middle of every play and an attendee at every game, show, tournament and concert. Veronica, Marcus and Peter are the emblems and embodiments of her unconditional and complete love and support.
In 2019 Jane decided to apply to serve on the California Citizens' Redistricting Commission. From over 22,000 applicants, Jane was one of the fourteen Californians who became the 2020 Commission. Commissioner Andersen was immensely proud of the Commission's work and mission. Jane also served on the Board of the Berkeley Path Wanderers' Association, and was her neighborhood's mom as well.
Jane had a gift- the ability to connect with each and every person she encountered. One of the world's great conversationalists, an avid follower of world and local events who then took action when she saw the need, a scuba diver and Lego enthusiast. Jane had so many facets that shone so brightly it is truly impossible to list them all. Jane's children and eleven nieces and nephews each received Christmas ornaments every year for each of their first 21 years- courtesy of Mummy/Aunt Jane. Jane added fun and happiness to the lives of everyone she met and provided help to anyone who needed it. Her fierce, fantastic, and positive spirit will always be remembered by anyone who met her and Jane will be forever loved.
Jane is survived by her adoring husband and children, by her sister Lisa and brother-in-law Dwight Moyer, by her brothers and sisters-in-law Paul and Sharon and Dave and Anne Timpane, and by her nieces and nephews Christi, Graham, Jennifer, Natalie, Gabriel, Victoria, Michael, Brandon, Robbie and Julia. A wake in Jane's honor and to celebrate her incredible life will be held from 6-9 PM on Thursday, February 13, at Northbrae Community Church in Berkeley. Jane's funeral mass will be held at Saint Mary Magdalen Church in Berkeley at 11 AM on February 14. Jane will be interred at Sunset View Cemetery following the mass, with a reception to follow the interment.