Jane E. Carpenter

Jane Ellen Carpenter, 98, went home to Heaven on December 17, 2021. She was blessed with a long life of good health and her mind remained sharp until her last day on Earth.
Jane was born on April 23, 1923 and grew up in Akron. She was raised by a single mother who frequently held two or three jobs to make ends meet. Consequently, Jane was given much responsibility at a young age, handling most of the household duties while her mother worked. She still found time for fun after her chores and often reminisced about roller skating around the neighborhood, playing baseball, riding the streetcar downtown to Loew's Theater, trips to Summit Beach Park, and big family reunions full of good food and plenty of cousins to play with.
Jane graduated from East High School in 1941 and moved to Canton to join the secretary pool at The Hoover Company. Through the matchmaking efforts of her aunt, she began dating Link Carpenter and they married on October 27, 1944. They welcomed their son John in 1946 and daughter Marcia in 1947.
Jane retired as a secretary with Canton City Schools. After retirement, she and Link bought a camper and hit the road, traveling to every state in the continental United States. They spent most winters in Florida and made lifelong friends with fellow campers. After Link's death in 1988, Jane continued to travel with friends and enjoyed trips to Israel, Australia, and New Zealand.
Jane loved to keep busy and enjoyed many hobbies including card games, square dancing, fishing, sewing, crocheting, and watching baseball, football, and golf. She was a longtime member of Grace United Church of Christ in Canton where she served as church secretary for several years. After moving to Medina in 2005, she found a new church home at Harvest Presbyterian.
If you knew Jane, you knew she didn't mince words, nor did she suffer fools. She was that honest friend who would tell you that yes, you do look fat in those jeans, but she also wouldn't hesitate to fiercely defend you against any other detractors. For the past two years, Jane lived at Brookdale South in Medina and her caretakers often described her as "spunky", "a pistol", and "a real character." Many of them also described her as one of their favorite patients.
Although Jane's passing leaves a hole in our lives, we are confident we will see her again. She had no fear in her last days for she knew she would soon be face to face with her Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jane was preceded in death by her husband, Abraham Lincoln "Link" Carpenter; son, John Carpenter; mother, Marcia Witwer Thornton; and son-in-law, Harry Howard.
She is survived by her daughter, Marcia Howard; daughter-in-law, Nancy Carpenter; grandchildren, Heather (Bill) Elfrink, Pearl (Mark) Daube, Robyn (Mike) Deterling, John Lincoln (Alex) Carpenter, and Esther Carpenter; great-grandchildren, Dylan and Jackson Edinger, Eliana, John, Christian, and Evangeline Daube, and Pepper Carpenter.
Many thanks to the dedicated staff at Brookdale South in Medina and Dr. Shobha Khandelwal for taking such great care of Jane. And thanks to Ellie, Joyce, and Helen for being Jane's tablemates. She had a lot of laughs with you gals.
Jane's life will be celebrated on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 11:30 am with visitation for one hour prior at Harvest Presbyterian Church, 1095 E. Reagan Pkwy, Medina, Ohio 44256.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one's choice.