Mary Jane Canfield

Mary Jane Canfield passed away on April 1, 2012 at Stevensville, Michigan. She was born on May 13, 1922 in Hartford, Connecticut, the only child of Lillian Brodeur Butler and John Butler. In 1928, the family moved to Detroit, Michigan. Mary Jane earned a Bachelor of Science degree in home economics education from Marygrove College in 1944 and a Masters degree in counseling and guidance from Wayne State University in 1951. She worked in the Red Cross hospital service in Washington, D.C. and Great Lakes, Illinois from May 1945 to October 1946. After the war, she returned to teaching in Detroit until she married Carl Canfield on January 3, 1952 and they moved to the Chicago area Carl and Mary Jane had three children and lived in Chicago suburbs; Decatur and Rockford, Illinois; Carmel, Indiana; and Granada Hills, California. Mary Jane and Carl traveled extensively and owned several RVs throughout their marriage. Carl retired in 1983, and he and Mary Jane moved to Jackson, Wyoming, a location for family vacations over many years. They then divided their time between Jackson and Lake Havasu, Arizona until Carl passed away on December 12, 2008, after nearly 57 years of marriage. Mary Jane was a life member of the American Association of University Women, and a member of the League of Women Voters and numerous hospital auxiliaries and civic organizations. She served as an officer or board member on many of them and volunteered thousands of hours to the community. Her interests also included cooking, crafts, knitting, reading, and collecting ceramic owls. She was a 25 year survivor of breast cancer. Mary Jane Canfield is survived by her children and their spouses, Chris (Leila), Cindy (John Kirby), and Laurie; and her grandchildren, Ben, Michael, and Sarah. Per her wishes, no services will be held. Services were held under the direction of Starks Family Funeral Home. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Susan G. Komen for the Cure (http://ww5.komen.org/