Jane Santry Pierce

Baby Boomer, mom, gramma, sister, companion. Jane Santry Pierce, 72, of Worthington, was birthed to eternal life on January 18, 2025. She was the yin to Jon’s yang. They were opposites but complementary and interconnected parts. She brought her own special gifts to form a dynamic partnership that brought cohesion to their relationship, making it so much greater than the sum of its parts. 

She was a sweet and gentle girl, as evidenced by her ever-present smile and the fact that one never heard a disparaging word, either about her or from her. As a child of the 60’s she carried the idealism born out of that decade with her throughout her life. A quiet person, she didn’t need to be the center of attention. She was creative in her own way. Many people throughout Columbus and beyond enjoy the blankets, cross-stitch, scarves and other examples of her skill in needlework. Jane was a strong, independent woman, which she got from her mother, whose strength came from knowing her own mind rather than from the decibel level of her voice. Jane was of the belief that a woman was like a tea bag. You never knew how strong she was until she got into hot water. She was detail oriented, which stood her well in her career in medical administration at THE Ohio State University. She was feisty enough to sport a “Shalom” tattoo on her right arm.

Jane was born into this world in Columbus on April 5, 1952, to William and Jane (Dennis) Santry. She met Jon Pierce in the late ’70’s at a birthday party hosted by her friend, Vicky, a neighbor of Jon’s. She must have seen something in him because she let him take her by the hand and, together, they journeyed for almost a half a century. Their partnership was founded on love, mutual respect and a balanced approach facing life’s ups and downs. They were married in 1980, raised two boys, Andrew (Jessica) and Richard, and got to be doting grandparents to two precocious and spritely granddaughters, Hannah and Madeline.

In addition to her love of needlecraft, Jane enjoyed reading and watching mysteries, especially the English type. She enjoyed traveling (as long as there was a plan), being around friends, fast cars and various kinds of music, especially Country Rock. She LOVED Rod Stewart.

She possessed the innate quality of fitting in without drawing attention to herself, possibly the result of growing up on the East Side of Columbus with seven siblings. Jane derived a lot of satisfaction from her career after graduating from OSU, but her life was centered around God, her family, and John Wesley’s Three Simple Rules. 

Micah 6:8 also succinctly sums up Jane’s life:

 He has shown you, O Mortal, what is good.

 And what does the Lord require of you

 To act justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with your God

Simply stated, John Wesley’s Three Simple Rules - Do no harm, Do good, Stay in love with God - are the backbone of Wesleyan Methodism, a denomination Jane and Jon called home for a number of years. To do no harm, one must understand and celebrate that everyone has value and are to be lifted up, not torn down. She exemplified this spirit through her innumerable acts of kindness and willingness to meet people where they are. To do good one must be intentional about making a difference, and do it with a loving spirit. Jane made a difference in many ways, as a Stephen Minister, by putting together and serving meals to homeless and disadvantaged central Ohio residents, and by participating in missions to aid the less fortunate in Columbus, the country and around the globe. She stayed in love with God by actively engaging in making the world a better place. Jane remained in harmony with God through prayer and study, and was intentional about her commitment to the Great Commandment to love God with all her heart, mind and soul, and to love her neighbors as she loved herself. 

Her values of faith, hope, peace and love embodied the concept of doing all one can, in all the places one can, to all the people one can, for as long as one can. One need look no further than Jane donating her brain to medical research at the Neurology department at OSU to understand the depth of her love and commitment.

A celebration of Jane’s life will be held at Linworth United Methodist Church Saturday, February 1, where her ashes will be inurned in their columbarium. Visitation will be held from 10:30 - 11:30am with a memorial service beginning at 11:30am. The celebration will be livestreamed. (Please see the link below). To leave a condolence, or share a memory please visit the tribute section of the obituary page.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jane’s memory to Linworth United Methodist Church ministries, Hospice, or the Alzheimer's Association of Central Ohio

You were a sweet, loving and patient woman, a damn good sport, and a wonderful mother and gramma. We love you and will miss you, Janie Bird! Shalom!

Celebration of Life Livestream: linworthumc.org/online

Donations 

Linworth Methodist Church: linworthumc.org/giving

Hospice: nationalchurchresidences.org/donate/hospice/

Alzheimer’s Association: act.alz.org