Jane A. Hylas

The daughter of James Leo Crosbie and Isabelle Marie (Campbell) Crosbie, Jane was born on July 28,1928 in Brooklyn, NY.She moved to Pearl River as an infant. As a little girl, Jane walked down Ridge Street to the Central Avenue School with her sisters Geri and Nan. They went home for lunch everyday. Coming of age during World War II, Jane worked on community war efforts as a teenager.She graduated from Pearl River High School in 1946. Jane went on to become a Registered Nurse, a proud 1949 graduate of St. Vincent Hospital’s School of Nursing in Greenwich Village. Later in life, Jane completed distance studies to earn a Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Empire State.

Jane met her soulmate Midge in Haverstraw when she was working at Helen Hayes Hospital. Family lore has it that he tipped his hat at her at a local bar, and that was that. They married on July 7, 1951 and settled in Stony Point where they had nine children. Jane was widowed at age 42, six days shy of her twentieth wedding anniversary. Jane was a nurse for many years, additionally working at Summit Park in Pomona, Health Med in Nanuet, Dr. Rand’s endocrinology practice and Kay-Fries in Stony Point. A devout Roman Catholic and longtime parishioner at Immaculate Conception Church in Stony Point, Jane was a member of the Woman’s Club where she started the yearly blood drive and ran the Friendly Visitors program. Jane was also a lector, a Eucharistic Minister and a teacher in the RCIA program for many years. Jane developed several outside interests while raising her kids. She learned to play tennis at the New City Racquet Club and enjoyed traveling with friends to Europe. Her favorite was a pilgrimage to Oberammergau. Closer to home, Jane and her two youngest children, Jimmy and Mary Beth, often sampled many of the county’s restaurants. Among her favorites were Posa Posa and the Stony Point Pancake Factory. Jane herself was an excellent cook and baker. She was famous for her chocolate mayonnaise cake and deep dish apple pie. Jane’s children are grateful for the hundreds of nightly dinners she prepared; they thank her for peeling literally tons of potatoes and they promise not to fight over the big hammered pot that everyone wants.

Jane is predeceased by her husband Andrew (Midge) and her son James who died far too young and are forever missed by their family. Her sister Gertrude (Geri) Hunter and son-in- law James O’ Connor also predeceased her.

Jane’s greatest legacy is her family. She reminded her children often (especially during squabbles) that they would not always have her or their father, but they would always have each other. Moreover, “Mama Jane” was a mother to a much wider community, sharing profound wisdom and touching many lives with love. She was a loyal friend to many. She is survived by her daughter Kathy and her children Caitlin and Andrew (Marisa) Doonan; son Tom (Karen Newcomb) and their daughters Stasia and Alexa (Nick) Diskerud; son Tim (Carolyn Lewis) and their son Sam; son Chris (Joanne) and their sons Kevin, Stephen, and James; daughter Rosemary, her partner Roman Pastenkos, and daughter Jackie (Chris) Kim; daughter Patty O’Connor and her children Kathleen and Evan; son Dan (Colleen) and children Daniel (Katrina), Sara, Emily and Kevin; daughter Mary Beth (Al) Perini and their daughters Claire and Madeline. Jane is survived by six great grandchildren: Crosbie Grace and Benjamin Andrew Doonan; Leo Benjamin and Charles Rhys Doonan; Hudson James and Molly Jane Hylas. She is also survived by her sister Nan Fabio and several loving Higgins and Fabio nieces and nephews.

The family will receive visitors from 2-4 and 7-9 at Michael J. Higgins Funeral Home in Stony Point on Sunday, February 5. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Immaculate Conception Church in Stony Point on Monday, February 6 at 11:00 with interment to follow at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Haverstraw.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Joe Raso House in New City for the compassionate, gentle and loving care that Mama Jane received. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Immaculate Conception parish at 26 John Street, Stony Point, NY in Jane’s memory.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MJHigginsStonyPoint.com for the Hylas family.