Mary Jane Kuhn

Mary Jane Rowen Kuhn died on July 1, 2022 in Norwalk, CT where she had recently moved to be closer to family. Born July 15, 1935 in Springfield, MA, Jane – as she was known - grew up in Windsor, CT and was a longtime resident of West Hartford, CT. She was the daughter of the late George Anthony Rowen and the late Mary Ellen Leahy Rowen. Jane was predeceased by her husband, Paul Alan Kuhn (whom she married in 1960) and her daughter, Mary Cathryn “Kate” Kuhn Woodbury, both of whom brought love, happiness, and adventure to Jane’s life. She is survived by her daughter, Julie Kuhn Macdonald and her husband, James of Westport, CT; her son, John Kuhn and his wife, Meg of Fairfield, CT; and son-in-law Derrik Woodbury of Bloomfield, CT. An exceptionally proud, adoring and involved grandmother (and recent great grandmother!), Jane leaves behind Carson and Rex Woodbury; Riley Macdonald and his wife Mary Elizabeth and their new sweet baby Philip James, Michaela Macdonald, Cara Macdonald and her fiancé, Sean Deery; and Kate, Declan and Charlotte Kuhn. Additionally, she is survived by Paul’s half-brothers, Bill and Martin Kuhn, both residents of Ontario, Canada, and their respective spouse/partner, Eva and Janet; and Bill’s son, Joe and his wife Janette and their two children, Lucy and Louis. Jane attended Mount St. Joseph Academy in West Hartford, where she was the Class of 1951 valedictorian. She was an extremely proud and active Wellesley College alumna (Class of 1955.) During her time there, Jane was a member of the Neumann Club and in the years after, she was an enthusiastic member and booster of the Hartford Wellesley Club. After Wellesley, Jane worked at Connecticut General as one of the first women management trainees. She co-founded and built Hartford Plus Tours during the 1970’s. While growing that business, Jane began guiding group trips to St. John, USVI which included her family for many years. St. John became one of her favorite places in the world, and Jane became a fixture at the Cinnamon Bay campground for over 30 years. From this base, she built a group tour business aligned with favored organizations such as Wellesley Alums, the Wadsworth Atheneum, St. Timothy’s Church in West Hartford and the New Britain Museum. She enjoyed traveling with her groups across the globe, truly appreciating other cultures and traditions. Her destinations included Morocco, Kenya, Lebanon, Vietnam, Iceland, Venice, Vatican City and many more. Back at home, Jane worked at Kenny Travel, AAA Travel, and ultimately King Travel, planning her next adventures. She was also an active member of the Town & County Club in Hartford. Jane and her family found peace and refuge in the home her parents built in West Halifax, VT. She loved the area and sharing it with friends and family. “Nene” made sure each grandchild knew the history of the Vermont house and the surrounding property. She loved taking them to visit the cows down the hill, visiting the family’s gravel pits and swimming in the lake her parents aptly called Lake Jane. Additionally, Jane was one of the founding members of the Kate Kuhn Woodbury, M.D Fun Run and Lecture Series, an annual charity event at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, where Kate was an anesthesiologist at the time of her death. In her later years, Jane enjoyed tennis, tap-dancing, and painting. She loved attending grandchildren’s numerous hockey, lacrosse and soccer games, ice skating competitions and musicals. She regularly showered her cat, Midnight, with hugs and treats, and loved to hide chocolate in her home so that her children and grandchildren wouldn’t steal it. She also gratefully volunteered her time to support many activities at St. Timothy’s. A force. A woman ahead of her time. Fiercely loved by her family, who are confident that Jane earned enough earthly points to be reunited with her husband, Paul, and daughter, Kate, to share a delicious and generous supply of chocolate in Heaven. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday July 16, 2022 at 10 am at St. Timothy’s, 1116 N Main St, West Hartford, CT. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be sent to either Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park (www.friendsvinp.org) or the Wellesley Scholarship Foundation (https://www.wellesleyscholarshipfoundation.org/donate). Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com