Jane Baker Bowman passed away peacefully at home on December 11.  She was 97 years old and spent her life filling family and friends' days with laughter, warmth, and joy.  Sharp, clever, and endlessly funny, Jane made everyone around her smile and laugh until the very end of her life. She was a light to everyone she met.

Born June 7, 1928, to Lucille Petree Baker and William Allen Baker, Jane was raised in Harriman, Tennessee. She remained proud of her East Tennessee roots throughout her life, with a lifelong fondness for Mayfield Dairy.

After relocating to Huntsville in October 1963, Jane and close friends established St. Charles Anglican Episcopal Church. She found great joy singing in the choir, and later, singing alongside her granddaughter, Elizabeth. Music remained an important part of Jane's life. She had a remarkable ability to remember song lyrics well into her later years. As her doctors' visits increased with age, Jane found yet another audience for her humor and her music. She delighted in singing witty, personalized "jingles" for her doctors. Her eye doctor inspired her version of "I Only Have Eyes for You," while treating her other specialists to clever renditions of familiar tunes, rewritten to suit their fields. These performances, delivered with perfect timing and wit, were undeniably Jane.

Jane was thoughtful and particular about what she wore, taking pride in her favorite jeans, loafers, Ralph Lauren button-downs, rimmed glasses, and gold-buttoned cardigan sweaters, never leaving the house without lipstick. She had a love of books and was honored to volunteer and eventually work at the Murphy Branch Library until she retired at the age of 83. Her charm endeared her patrons at the library. She also had an immense love of food. Jane amassed a menu collection from restaurants of all sorts, including her favorite, G's Country Kitchen, where she was lovingly known as "Ms. Jane."

Above all, Jane cherished her family. She adored spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who called her Gmimi, and served as the inspiration for the tightly bonded family that survives her.  She is preceded in death by Thomas Franklin Bowman, her husband since 1952, and brothers William Allen Baker II and John Woodson Baker, both Episcopal priests. She is survived by her children: Paddy Baker Bowman, Mary Ann (Mike) Chalk, Martha Woodson (Tony) Miller, and Thomas Baker Bowman; her grandchildren: Elizabeth (Zack) Apoian, Katie (Adam) Richard, Anna (Anthony) Roth, Caitlin (Samir) Sabharwal, Austin (Ashley) Miller, David Bowman, and Jack Bowman; her great-grandchildren: Sinclair Apoian; James, Lucy, and Philip Roth; Finn Richard; and Leela and Willa Sabharwal. A celebration of life will be at a later date.

The family wants to give special thanks to Aveanna Hospice and the home health workers for their love and support in Jane's final days.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jane's memory may be made to the Huntsville Library Foundation

Berryhill Funeral Home assisted the family.