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Saint Albans - Mary Jane Noella Pare Magnant died at age 92 in St. Albans on January 2, 2020, with family by her side.

Jane, the 7th of the 10 children of Alcide E. and Blanche D. Pare, was born in 1927 in the house where she spent her childhood, the same building that housed Pare’s Meat Market in the early 1900’s at 176 Lake Street. Jane is survived by her brothers, Raymond (Dada) Pare and Andrew (Joe) Pare “her baby brother.” She was predeceased by Cecile P. Ferland, Fernand (Fred) Pare, Henry Pare, Romeo Pare, Ernest (Peg) Pare, Hubert Pare, and James Pare. She attended Holy Angels Elementary School and graduated pro merito from Bellows Free Academy in 1946.

John Douglas Magnant, her husband of 38 years predeceased her in 1992. They raised 10 children. Jane survived the loss of two daughters: Margaret (Peggy) Magnant, age 23 and Mary Ellen Magnant, age 30 and a son, James (Jimmy) Magnant, age 22.

She is survived by 7 children and their spouses: Cynthia (and Gregory) Newman of Amelia Island, FL, Jacquelyn (and the late Edgar) Burgin of Ashfield, MA, Stephen (and Nicky) Magnant of Bakersfield, VT, Douglas (and Mary Beth) Magnant of Essex Jct., VT, Diane (and Michael) Montagne of St. Albans, VT, Julie (and Bradley) Ovitt of OR and Carole (and Jeffrey) O’Connell of St. Albans, VT.

Granny will be dearly missed by her 18 surviving grandchildren and their spouses/partners: Sarah Newman Kalb of Pensacola, FL, Heather Newman of Greenville, SC, Melissa Newman (and Jose Hernandez) of Fernandina Beach, FL, Ericka Burgin (and Ben Jaffee) of NYC, Katherine Magnant of Bakersfield, VT, Lucas (and Kalie) Magnant of Richmond, VT, Sam (and Paige Smith) of Boston, MA, Andrea Magnant of Burlington, VT, Jennifer (and Dave) Reynolds of St. Albans, VT, Lisa (and Adam) Bushey of St. Albans, VT, John (and Melissa) Montagne of St. Albans, VT, Benjamin Montagne of St. Albans, VT, Nathan Ovitt of Oregon, Ashley (and James Bithorn) of Yorktown, VA, Jacob (and Charissa) Ovitt of Dahlonega, GA, Taylor (and Morgun) Flanagan of St. Albans, VT, Olivia (and Kody Baker) O’Connell of St. Albans, VT. One grandson, Ian Burgin, of Ashfield, MA predeceased Jane in 2010.

She also had 26 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild.

Jane’s life was enriched by her life-long friends, Jeannette Chevalier, Pat Williamson and Dottie Dowling, aka “The Golden Girls.”

In addition to bringing up 10 children, Jane provided secretarial and administrative services for John Kissane State’s Attorney, Neil Brown Insurance Agency, and the Franklin Northwest Supervisory Union. Jane was a life-long member of The Catholic Daughters of America and volunteered at local blood drives. Her love and passion was being at home holding babies, baking homemade breads, pies, cookies, playing cards (rummy, anyone?) with any willing partner and staying up to the moment with her “kids” lives. Her sewing machine was always ready to make needed repairs or new creations. She so enjoyed the beautiful flower gardens Diane maintained and especially loved to pick her fresh veggies from the back yard for another nourishing meal. When asked what she was most proud of her response was always “her family.”

A memorial service to celebrate Jane’s life will be held on Saturday, January 11th at 11:00 AM at Holy Angels Church, 245 Lake Street. Internment of her ashes will be held at Holy Cross Cemetery in the spring at the family’s convenience.

Messages are welcome and can be posted at www.healdfuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jane Magnant’s memory to The Jim Bashaw Catastrophic Illness Fund, c/o Northwestern Medical Center, Community Relations Office, 133 Fairfield St, St. Albans, VT 05478

Thank you all for the many ways you have enriched Jane’s life. She did the same for us and we are proud to be her legacy. Jane’s upbeat and caring personality will be missed by all who knew her. We will feel her presence through the echoes of her love.

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