Jane Miller Studabaker
May 29, 1932 ~ December 30, 2022
Generous and Witty
In the early hours of December 30, 2022, Jane Winsor Miller Studabaker, at the age of 90, drew her last breath. She was a wonderful woman, mother and grandmother, bringing much grace, joy, enthusiasm and determination to the many roles she played during her rich life.
Jane was born May 29, 1932, in Flushing, NY. An entertainer at heart, she dedicated her youth to acting and dancing before enrolling in George Washington University to study speech therapy. During her college years, Jane often visited the U.S. Naval Academy where she met Bill Studabaker. “We crossed the streets a lot because that was when we could hold hands,” she confided with a smile. The two were married in 1952 and were together for 70 years, until Bill passed away a handful of months before Jane.
As the descendent of a long line of military officers, Jane was well prepared for the frequent moves she made with Bill and their four children. But she found no posting as much to her liking as the three years they spent in Paris, France. Jane ceaselessly fed her passions for art and history while living in Paris. “She made art and history come alive for us, animatedly telling stories that left us hungry to know more,” recalls her daughter Anne. “She was a voracious reader and brought so much knowledge to all she shared with us.”
As her children grew older, Jane began to work outside the home, first doing voice-overs, then modeling, and finally selling art. In the 1970s, she became director of The Hagen Gallery in Newport Beach, CA, and then helped launch the Guarisco Gallery in Washington, DC.
Jane loved people and had a talent for putting them at ease using humor and charm – a talent well suited to gallery work. One of her favorite stories was of a maritime historian who came to her gallery to admire three paintings of naval battles. “We sat on the floor with the three paintings arranged before us as he told me the story behind each scene,” she recalled enthusiastically.
Everything around her brought sparkles to her eyes, and joy to her heart. She sold art, served on the board of The Philips Collection, worked as an educator in New Mexico, traveled throughout the US and Europe to buy art, and rescued animals in the suburbs of DC. But above all, she loved her family and her home. “People have asked me what I am most proud of in life,” she recalled. “That’s easy: my children.” Perhaps second was her garden in McLean, VA. Jane and Bill spent thousands of hours toiling in their yard, turning it into a splendid and soothing retreat from the frenzy of the nation’s capital.
Jane’s story is one of a generous woman with a loving heart. She is remembered for her love of family, her sense of humor, being a proud mother and a good friend. As one friend wrote, “When the universe needed to manifest beauty, intelligence, laughter, love, and kinship it gave us Jane. She was that rare gem among us that filled a room with incandescent light. She grabbed that glorious soul of hers and raced into the heavens to … add some dazzle to the sky above us. She was that special.”
Predeceased by her loving husband and beloved pets, Jane is survived by her four children (and their spouses/fiancés) – Steven (Miriam), Bill (Rita), Anne (Al), Richard (Cece) – and her four grandchildren (Will, John, Bryan, Katie).
Friends are welcome to join Jane’s family for a memorial service and internment at the Old Post Chapel, Arlington National Cemetery on March 30, 2023, at 3 pm with a reception to follow.
In the early hours of December 30, 2022, Jane Winsor Miller Studabaker, at the age of 90, drew her last breath. She was a wonderful woman, mother and grandmother, bringing much grace, joy, enthusiasm and determination to the many roles she played during her rich life.
Jane was born May 29, 1932, in Flushing, NY. An entertainer at heart, she dedicated her youth to acting and dancing before enrolling in George Washington University to study speech therapy. During her college years, Jane often visited the U.S. Naval Academy where she met Bill Studabaker. “We crossed the streets a lot because that was when we could hold hands,” she confided with a smile. The two were married in 1952 and were together for 70 years, until Bill passed away a handful of months before Jane.
As the descendent of a long line of military officers, Jane was well prepared for the frequent moves she made with Bill and their four children. But she found no posting as much to her liking as the three years they spent in Paris, France. Jane ceaselessly fed her passions for art and history while living in Paris. “She made art and history come alive for us, animatedly telling stories that left us hungry to know more,” recalls her daughter Anne. “She was a voracious reader and brought so much knowledge to all she shared with us.”
As her children grew older, Jane began to work outside the home, first doing voice-overs, then modeling, and finally selling art. In the 1970s, she became director of The Hagen Gallery in Newport Beach, CA, and then helped launch the Guarisco Gallery in Washington, DC.
Jane loved people and had a talent for putting them at ease using humor and charm – a talent well suited to gallery work. One of her favorite stories was of a maritime historian who came to her gallery to admire three paintings of naval battles. “We sat on the floor with the three paintings arranged before us as he told me the story behind each scene,” she recalled enthusiastically.
Everything around her brought sparkles to her eyes, and joy to her heart. She sold art, served on the board of The Philips Collection, worked as an educator in New Mexico, traveled throughout the US and Europe to buy art, and rescued animals in the suburbs of DC. But above all, she loved her family and her home. “People have asked me what I am most proud of in life,” she recalled. “That’s easy: my children.” Perhaps second was her garden in McLean, VA. Jane and Bill spent thousands of hours toiling in their yard, turning it into a splendid and soothing retreat from the frenzy of the nation’s capital.
Jane’s story is one of a generous woman with a loving heart. She is remembered for her love of family, her sense of humor, being a proud mother and a good friend. As one friend wrote, “When the universe needed to manifest beauty, intelligence, laughter, love, and kinship it gave us Jane. She was that rare gem among us that filled a room with incandescent light. She grabbed that glorious soul of hers and raced into the heavens to … add some dazzle to the sky above us. She was that special.”
Predeceased by her loving husband and beloved pets, Jane is survived by her four children (and their spouses/fiancés) – Steven (Miriam), Bill (Rita), Anne (Al), Richard (Cece) – and her four grandchildren (Will, John, Bryan, Katie).
Friends are welcome to join Jane’s family for a memorial service and internment at the Old Post Chapel, Arlington National Cemetery on March 30, 2023, at 3 pm with a reception to follow.
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