Jan. 9, 2007 – A memorial service for Jane Dowling is set for 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 14 at Bonnie's by the Sea at the Elysian.
Dowling, a 35-year-resident of St. Thomas, died Dec. 2 in Albuquerque, N.M., after suffering increasingly ill health over the last year.
Jane, as she was known by all her friends, was born in Union, N.Y., on Oct. 20, 1925. She lived in nearby Binghamton, N.Y., for more than 35 years.
She was a supervisor with Bell Telephone, both in Binghamton and in Cranford, N.J., where she moved with her second husband, Lou Dowling.
After retiring from the phone company, in the early '70s she moved to St. Thomas. She kept a home on St. Thomas until 2005. She also spent more than 10 years in Albuquerque.
Jane was known for her wry sense of humor and her ability to laugh at herself. She was an avid swimmer for nearly 80 years and was most happy when swimming or entertaining.
She passed on her love for the Caribbean lifestyle to her children and grandchildren.
She is survived by her daughter, Shaun A. Pennington, and her husband, Walter Bostwick, of St. Thomas; son, Robert R. Pennington, and his wife, Mary McGarrity, of Albuquerque; grandchildren, Jason Reiff of New York City; Aaron Reiff and his wife, Jessica, of St. Thomas, Ryan Pennington of Albuquerque, and Monica Pennington, also of Albuquerque. She is also survived by a great-grandson, Beckett Harrison Reiff.
The family asks that if anyone wishes to make a donation in Jane's honor it be made to the Humane Society of St. Thomas – specifically for the new Animal Care Campus, P.O. Box 8150, St. Thomas, VI 00801.
Contact Shaun A. Pennington at 340-777-8144 for details on the memorial service, or e-mail shaunpennington@earthlink.net.
