Mary Jane Bryan Welborn

1934 - 2024

Mary Jane Bryan Welborn

Mary Jane Bryan Welborn, 90, of Perrysburg, OH, passed away at home on Monday, March 25, 2024, after a long illness. Her daughter, younger sister and brother were by her side. Independent, intelligent, loving, and kind, Jane was born January 14, 1934, at home in the little town of Belpre, Ohio. She was the third of seven children (two boys and five girls) born to Gladys K. Gearhart Bryan and John W. Bryan. She graduated Carthage-Troy High School in Coolville, OH, 1951, at age 17 and moved to the "big city of Columbus, Ohio" not knowing a soul. Although Jane was awarded scholarships to two colleges in southern Ohio, she ultimately set her goal on Ohio State University to work and pursue her dream of becoming an elementary school teacher.

Jane's adventurous spirit led her to travel on a military ship to Hawaii alone to marry, eventually settling back in the states to raise her three beloved children, Todd, Sara, and Chris. While managing a household, working part-time and raising her children, Jane was able to graduate from the University of Toledo (TU) in 1968 with a bachelors degree in education. Jane's dedication to education was evident throughout her 36-year teaching career, from her early days at Shoreland Elementary to her final years as a third and second grade teacher at Navarre Elementary in Toledo, OH. She was gifted her classroom door (room 203 complete with keys and wooden hall pass), to display in her home, before the school was torn down and rebuilt in 2007. Her students well remember the end-of-school year goal of writing "antidisestablishmentarianism" in cursive, along with a pink hatbox decorated like a birthday cake that held a special gift for each birthday boy or girl. The kids were always excited to come back after Christmas break because that meant they were beginning to learn cursive writing. Outside the classroom, Jane found joy in exploring the world, often incorporating educational opportunities into her travels. She enjoyed tying learning and history into her (mostly road) trips. Whether backpacking down the Grand Canyon with her daughter or exploring the historic sites of Washington DC, France, England and Ireland with her daughter and grandsons, Zachary and Adam, Jane's thirst for knowledge knew no bounds. Jane was proud to pass on her Scrabble knowledge to her grandson, Adam during their many competitive matches over the years.

Additionally, later in life, Jane and her grandsons developed a deep bond, mostly based in humor, which culminated in them being an important part in overseeing her 2023-2024 medical journey which allowed her to be able to be home with hospice care.

Until February of 2023, at age 89, Jane drove to the Toledo Zoo twice a week for four years, to serve as a volunteer, sharing her knowledge of various animals, particularly the elephants Renee, Twiggy and Lucas. Her dream was to meet the new baby elephant, Kirk, which was made possible by zoo volunteers and elephant keepers through FaceTime.

Jane is survived by her daughter, Sara Welborn Harlow: grandsons, Zachary (Ryan) and Adam (Kimberley) Harlow; sons, Chris (Jackie) Welborn and Todd Welborn: grandsons, Caleb, Connor and Carson Welborn; her beloved Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Miss Molly McGee HM; two sisters, Joyce Miesse (Jerry), Connie Hopkins; two brothers, Jack Bryan and David Bryan (Kathy); and many nieces and nephews.

The family wants to extend a very special thank you to Tom Sanderson, Scott Harlow, Vicki Nagy and Mike Nagy, Rick Westphal and the many Toledo Zoo volunteers/zookeepers for their help, support and friendship, particularly during this past year.

A party/celebration of Jane's life will be held Sunday, April 28, 2024, at Birchwood Meadow Barn & Event Venue, 10 Turtle Creek Circle, Swanton, OH, from 1 - 4 pm where friends and family will gather to share food and drink, fond memories and stories of her remarkable life. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Toledo Zoo in her honor would be appreciated.