- Date Of Death: October 11, 2016
- State: New Mexico
Jane B. Smith, born as Aura Jane Burcham, entered the world on November 12, 1927 in Albuquerque, NM. She passed peacefully on October 11, 2016 at the age of 88. She was the daughter of Annette G. Burcham and John Carl Burcham, who was the principal of Stronghurst Elementary School, where Jane attended grade school. Her mother was a piano and voice teacher who taught Jane these skills from early childhood. At the age of 12, Jane was baptized into the Church of Christ and she remained active in the church until her death.
Jane attended Albuquerque High School and graduated from David Lipscomb High School in Nashville, TN and Abilene Christian College in Abilene, TX. After her marriage in 1950 to Willis A. Smith, she returned to college earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico. She was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Society and a candidate for a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship at that institution.
Willis and Jane were the parents of one daughter, Charlotte Anne Smith. As a parent, Jane remained active in community affairs. She was a member of the Albuquerque Opera Guild of the Santa Fe Opera and the American Association of University Women. She was president of the Uptown Garden Club and Director of District 1, New Mexico Garden Clubs Inc. She was prominent in establishing the Albuquerque Garden Center and chaired many civic beautification projects. She was public relations chairman of many local organizations and was the recipient of several Matrix awards and had numerous articles published in New Mexico Magazine.
Jane never lost her childhood love of music and played piano for most of her life. Her musical inclinations also led her to become an active member of the New Mexico Symphony Guild. In 1978, she chaired the Symphony Ball of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. Through the years, she also chaired numerous other events for the orchestra and was a member of the Board of Directors for nine years, serving as second vice-president. In 1985, she was elected to the Volunteer Council of the American Symphony Orchestra League, where she was the secretary and editor of the national newsletter. In 2000, she was chairman of the Young Artists Competition in Piano Performance for the NMSO. She remained active in Church of Christ and established a gardening project for the inner-city children through the Mission Albuquerque Program. She read avidly and loved attending her Monday morning book club meetings.
Both she and Willis loved traveling, playing golf and tennis and taking trips with their grandsons.
