Jane B. Williams, 95, of Bedford, formerly of Lexington, passed away peacefully on January 4, 2025, after a brief illness.

Jane Williams was born in 1929 in Emporia, Kansas, to the late Read R. and Shirley (Smith) Bang.  She often remarked that she was born on "Black Thursday", October 24, 1929, which marked the beginning of the Great Depression.  She lived in Emporia, Kansas (in 6 different houses) for the first 12 years of life before moving to Forest Hills, New York, during her teenage years.  Coming from a musical family; Jane was the first-chair oboist and the only girl in the NYC Five-Boroughs Orchestra. She studied and played at Tanglewood in 1946.

After graduating from Forest Hills High School Jane went on to attend DePauw University in Indiana, later transferring to the University of Rochester in New York. It was at the University of Rochester that Jane met Bruce R. Williams while they were both organizers of a fall mixer; Jane on the women's side and Bruce on the men's side. They married in December 1951 in Passaic, New Jersey, later moving to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina where Bruce served in the Marine Corps.  Jane attended Katherine Gibbs school and worked for the Superintendent of Schools until she started having children. Later they settled in Buffalo, NY and in 1960, moved to Holden, Massachusetts.  In 1970, they moved to Lexington where they stayed until moving to Carleton-Willard Village in Bedford some 15 years ago.

While raising her family, Jane volunteered with a number of organizations including the League of Women Voters and the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology. She attended a language therapy course at MGH which led her to earn her master's degree in Reading at Lesley. Jane had a passion for teaching, working with children with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.  She taught reading skills at the Carroll School in Lincoln, the Fenn School in Concord, and Middlesex School in Concord, leaving a positive impact on many students over the years.

At Carleton-Willard Village Jane and Bruce were active members of the community. Jane participated in the Book Club and volunteered by delivering books to residents in the nursing facility. In recent years she hosted weekly video classical music concerts in her apartment, sharing her appreciation for music with friends.

Jane was comfortable with technology and stayed connected with family and friends through email, remaining active and engaged until her passing.

Jane was predeceased by her husband, Bruce, in 2017. She is survived by her sons and their spouses, Jeffrey and Chuang of Cambridge, and Glenn and Patricia of Lexington, North Carolina; her sisters, Betty Bang Mather of Iowa City, Iowa, and Laura Anne Michelson of Cambridge; three grandsons, Benjamin, Zachary, and Caleb Williams; and three great-grandsons, Rex, Lionel, and Louis Williams.

A memorial service and concert will be held at Carleton-Willard Village.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Carleton-Willard Foundation, 100 Old Billerica Road, Bedford, MA 01730, The Pine Street Inn https://www.pinestreetinn.org or Planned Parenthood https://www.plannedparenthood.org

Jane will be remembered for her dedication to teaching, her passion for music, her giving spirit, her genuine interest in people and her love of her family.