Jane Canning Ellis

1934 - 2025

Jane Canning Ellis
01/14/2025
Jane Canning Ellis, who had a gift for connecting with almost everyone she met, died on January 14th at age 90. She leaves behind a devoted group of friends and family who kept her phone ringing, her bowl of Christmas cards overflowing, and her life rich and lively.
Open-hearted and generous, Jane effortlessly made room in her life for old friends and soon-to-be friends. She was genuinely interested in others, remembering details of her friends' lives long after she'd heard from them. Adept at seeing the best in the people around her, she managed to bring out our best, too-one of many reasons her children became accustomed to hearing, "I love your mother!", throughout their lives.
Jane was also a lot of fun, and a really good sport. She sailed in the cold waters of Maine during an Outward Bound course, ran races in Moscow and Berlin, and rooted enthusiastically for the Cal Bears no matter how dismal their record. She attended a Rolling Stones concert as a grandmother, on her own, simply because she wanted to see what all the fuss was about. And, in spite of the ever-present risk of fog, windy weather, and sheer boredom, she attended every school play, sports event, and musical performance that included her beloved grandchildren.
Jane was a talented athlete and racket sports were her game. While she may have been easy going off the court, she was fiercely competitive. By the time she'd retired from the court, she'd earned a room full of trophies playing singles and doubles in tennis and paddle tennis.
Jane was born in 1934 in Evanston, Illinois, to Alice Judson Canning and Gordon Canning, both of whom worked in the family real estate business. Among her happiest childhood memories was the tradition of gathering with her extended family for Sunday dinners hosted by her grandmother, Clara Ingram Judson, a home economist and author, who wrote 83 books and won the prestigious Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. Jane adored her grandmother who "always made us feel important." Her granddaughter possessed the same quality.
Jane attended Evanston Township High School where she was prom princess, captain of the soccer team, and vice president of her class. She graduated from Smith College, where she'd studied art history (and was also captain of the soccer team), and-on a lark -drove with friends from Massachusetts all the way to San Francisco in an old wood-paneled station wagon, and decided to stay a while.
Within a year, she'd met Tony Ellis when he was in town from New York City for a job interview.
As the oft-told story goes, the attraction was immediate. At the end of their first weekend together, and in a bid for more time with him, Jane volunteered to drive Tony to the airport. On the way they decided to stay in touch and, a few short months later, Tony sent her a letter asking her to stand by the phone at 9 pm Pacific Time. (It was a station-to-station call-cheaper.) She agreed and, while her date for the night waited downstairs, Tony proposed. She accepted and a short time later Jane moved to New York City to join her new husband.
She and Tony lived in New York City, Bronxville, New York, Washington, DC, Hillsborough, California, and, most recently, at The Stratford in San Mateo. By the time Tony died in 2018, they'd been married 62 years. Each considered the other their best friend and Tony regularly volunteered how lucky he was to be married to her. Until the very end, they claimed they'd gotten married because they loved the other's smile.
Jane spent her first couple of years post-college working for the now-closed Emporium in San Francisco and then in New York City, first as a sales associate for lady's half-sizes and then as a buyer. Much later, while living in Bronxville, NY, and after the first of her three children had left for college, she joined Anderson, Russell, Kill & Olick as a paralegal. She eventually left to join Russell Reynolds and, for the next almost two decades, worked as an executive recruiter in New York, Washington, DC, and San Francisco, and in public relations for Bramalea Pacific in Oakland.
Jane made time throughout her life for community service, which included teaching English as a Second Language, working as a museum docent, and serving on a number of boards, including Planned Parenthood, CuriOdyssey, and The Francisca Club. She was an active alumna of Smith College, serving as class president and reunion chair. She also served on the Architectural Design Review Board in Hillsborough thanks to a lifelong passion for architecture.
Deeply loved and admired by her family, her survivors include: Clare Ellis and Kip Webb, Winn Ellis and David Mahoney, David and Elizabeth Ellis, Ryland and Kelsey Webb, Gordy Webb, Era Mahoney, Tess and Asher Neafsey, Thornton Ellis and Olivia Xu, Colby and Lauren Ellis, and Judson Ellis. She leaves her older brother, Gordon Canning, his wife Inge, her nieces Audrey Trieschman, Anne Tipton, and Mary Roberts, and her nephew Andrew Canning. She was grateful for all the support and care she received from her friends and staff at The Stratford and Mission Hospice, and from her caregiver and friend, Roslyn Harris.
A private family service will be held in Sea Ranch, CA. If so inclined, please consider making a donation to her beloved Rose garden at the San Mateo Arboretum Society in San Mateo's Central Park or perhaps carry out an act of kindness in her name (MissFoundation.org).