Jane Ann Curto, 92, of Burr Ridge, IL died February 14, 2019 at The Birches Assisted Living in Clarendon Hills, IL, where she was a founding partner in 1999.

 

Born July 21, 1926 at Hinsdale Hospital, IL,  to Irene and Dr. Kenneth Nicholls, Jane Ann spent her life living in and around her hometown of La Grange, IL, and was a lifetime member of the LaGrange First United Methodist Church.

 

A 1944 graduate of Lyons Township High School, she was especially proud that both of her sons and one of her grandsons were also LTHS graduates. Starting at DePauw University during WWII and then finishing her bachelor’s degree in 1948 at National College of Education (now National Lewis University), Jane Ann taught second grade in Riverside for several years and later in life, taught English as a second language.

 

Jane Ann loved art, both as an engaged viewer and an occasional painter. She was a member of the La Grange Art League, where she recalled taking lessons from Charles Vickery. For many years, she combined her interests in art and education by acting as a “picture lady” for local elementary schools.

 

On July 6, 1949 – her parents’ wedding anniversary – Jane Ann married the love of her life, William P. Curto, of Chicago, who predeceased her in 1987. Though Jane Ann and Bill had many things in common, they were happiest in the Keweenaw in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where all four of their parents had been born and raised and later spent their summers. As Jane Ann and Bill had done as children, they spent their summers in their beloved Eagle Harbor, where they later provided their own sons with an immersion in the natural world of lakes and forests.

 

Jane Ann was a fastidious homemaker and an attentive, devoted and outspoken mother to her sons and grandsons. An avid reader, her favorite books were historical fiction, especially books about American history. She was also a generous giver, supporting causes that she was passionate about, particularly education. Widowed for more than 31 years, she became strongly independent while preserving her deep devotion to her heritage.

 

Jane Ann is survived by her two sons, James Kenneth (Mary) and Jeffrey Nicholls (Mary Pat); three grandsons, William, Griffith and Luca; and two great-grandchildren, Henry and Charlotte.

 

Interment will occur in the summer at Lake View Cemetery in Calumet, Michigan.

 

For Service Information: 708-352-6500