Jane Frances Jessey

Jane Frances Fairbanks Jessey, 86, of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away peacefully on August 31, 2021, in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, surrounded by the love of her children and lifted by the prayers of many loving friends.

Jane was born January 20, 1935, to Mary McKinnon Fairbanks and Frank Louis Fairbanks of East Haven, CT. She was proud of the fact that the Fairbanks family were original members of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, having arrived from England in 1633. She graduated from St. Mary’s High School in New Haven in 1952 and married Francis Vincent Jessey in 1957.

In 1977 she moved from Guilford, Connecticut, to Alexandria, Virginia. She worked for Time-Life Books in Alexandria for 25 years. During that time, she rose from entry-level telemarketing to an executive assistant — a job she loved and where she had many good friendships that carried on after her retirement.

Jane was a mother to all. She enjoyed connecting with people, truly loved individuals from all walks of life, and tried to make everyone feel important. She was a humble and faithful member of the Basilica of St. Mary’s in Alexandria for over forty-one years, giving tirelessly of her time and talents to many devotions, ministries, and church organizations.

She loved to knit and do needlepoint. She spent untold hours carefully crafting Christmas stockings for each of her grandchildren and creating warm blankets and scarves for family members and friends. Jane had a particular passion for baking. She would give gifts of her baked goods to family, friends, St. Mary's priests, and acquaintances, in times of need or just as random acts of kindness. She also used her cooking skills in her volunteer work, often preparing meals for Carpenter’s Shelter and other community organizations.

Jane thoroughly enjoyed a good mystery or PBS series, she relished her trips to the Kennedy Center with family and friends, and she prized her "Nana" time with her grandchildren, whether shuttling them to after-school events and team practices or cheering on the sidelines of their games. And last, she had a passion for walking — whether in Italy on a St. Mary's pilgrimage or through the streets of Old Town in her later years.

Jane is survived by her five children: Stephen Jessey (Kathryn Bucher) of McLean, VA, Paul Jessey of Mt. Pleasant, SC, David Jessey (Lori) of Charlotte, NC, Anne Richardson of Charleston, SC and Jane Pullen of Cary, NC. She was an exceptional grandmother to her nine “perfect” grandchildren: Clare Jessey of Revere, MA; Noah Jessey of McLean, VA; Olivia Jessey of Mt. Pleasant, SC; Cole Jessey of Charlotte, NC; Alexander Jessey of Charlotte, NC; Nicholas Richardson of Atlanta, GA; Ethan Richardson of Charleston, SC; Rachel Pullen of Charlotte, NC; and Adam Pullen of Cary, NC.

The family is grateful for the loving and compassionate residential memory care and hospice care Jane received at Shem Creek Health Center in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

A visitation will be held from 5-8 PM on Wednesday, September 8th at the Demaine Funeral Home, 520 South Washington Street, Alexandria, VA. Jane’s life will be celebrated at a Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary, Alexandria, at 9:00 AM on Thursday, September 9th, followed by the Rite of Committal at St. Mary’s Cemetery and a reception at the Basilica’s Lyceum. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her memory to the Basilica of St. Mary (https://stmaryoldtown.org ) or the Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org ).