Jane Evans Coddington of Montgomery passed away on Monday, November 9 in Goshen. She was 87.
The daughter of the late Frederick Davis Valentine and Emma Schiller Valentine, she was born on November 20, 1932 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She had one older brother, Frederick Lloyd Valentine who she loved and admired. The death of her father she so adored when Jane was just twelve years old greatly impacted her life, as she moved to Chicago with her mother and brother to be closer to family.
Surrounded by her loving extended family, Jane excelled in her studies and graduated from Providence Catholic High School and then Chicago’s St. Anne’s Hospital School of Nursing. She next moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado where she worked as a Registered Nurse in the Labor and Delivery Ward. It was then that she met Alden Frank Coddington, from Circleville, New York, while he was stationed there with the military. They were married in St. Matthew Church in Chicago during a blizzard on February 11, 1956. They were married for 41 years.
Jane and Alden eventually moved back to New York where they settled first in an apartment in Newburgh and then bought the house on Weaver Street in Montgomery where they would live together for the rest of their lives. They raised three sons; Jimmy, Timmy and Larry. Their home was often the center of activity for the neighborhood kids who played outside in their yard from morning to night.
During those early years, Jane was a stay-at-home mom, providing comfort and sustenance for her family, washing uniforms and keeping peace. After her boys went off to college, Jane worked in the Health Office of the Valley Central Middle School for 13 years. Jane loved living in the Village of Montgomery and was blessed throughout the years by kind and generous neighbors who grew to be like family.
Jane was an active participant in her community. She was a member of the Holy Name of Mary Church and sang in the choir, often hosting her grandchildren in the choir loft after mass. Jane was an avid reader and volunteered at the Montgomery Free Library alongside her friends as they passed the time in the back room repairing books and catching up. She was a devoted sports enthusiast (especially the Yankees and Notre Dame Football) and could hold her own when discussing team players and stats. A strong supporter of her children and grandchildren, Jane was present at all of their sporting events, musical performances and plays, proudly cheering them on from the stands or the audience. She was a wonderful cook and baker, and was famous county-wide for her “Grammy Bars.” She loved and cared for several dogs throughout the years, (Midge, Jill, Cinnamon and Nina) and was a staple in the Village as she took her daily walks.
Her strong will, feisty spirit and kind heart amused and delighted all who knew her and inspired classic stories and re-tells from friends and family.
Jane is survived by her three sons: James Frank and wife Lori of Wallkill, Timothy John and wife M.J. of Wallkill, and Lawrence Frederick and wife Maureen of Montgomery; her grandchildren, Peter, Elizabeth, Katherine, Adam, Carly, Margaret and Bridget Coddington, her sister-in-law, Janice Mills; her nieces and nephews, Steven, Laurie and Jeff Mills, Amy, Paul and Fred Valentine.
She was predeceased by her husband Alden Frank Coddington, her grandson Chase Timothy Coddington, her brother and sister-in law Frederick Lloyd and Mary Valentine, her brother-in-law, John Mills and her nephew Matthew Valentine.
A mass of Christian Burial took place Monday, November 16, at the Holy Name of Mary Church, 89 Union Street, Montgomery Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Montgomery.
The family would like to thank the Staff of the Valley View Nursing Home for the care, kindness and compassion shown to Jane over the past two years.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Montgomery Free Library, 133 Clinton Street, Montgomery, New York 12549.
Arrangements were made by Millspaugh Funeral Directors.