Jane L. Starbody

Jane Louisa Starbody, age 94, of Bryan, Ohio, passed away on Friday, January 3, 2020, at SKLD Nursing Care in Bryan, where she had resided for 3 years. Jane was born on July 2, 1925, in Decatur, Illinois, the daughter of George Earl and June Marie (Hill) Willard. She married William Lee Starbody on March 12, 1949, and he preceded her in death on January 3, 2003. Jane is survived by her children, Gay Leslie (Dennis) Starbody Fay, of Carmel, Indiana, and Jay Louis (Esmeralda) Starbody, of Bryan; four grandchildren, Adam (Delana) Hare, of Nashville, Indiana, Holly (Kris) Stenger, of Orlando, Florida, Jaymer Starbody, of Detroit, Michigan, and Joyce Pocopio, of Chandler, Arizona; two great grandchildren, Karmann and Maxwell Stenger, of Orlando, Florida; a sister-in-law, Linda Starbody Howe, of Hillsborough, North Carolina; two nieces, Jan Todd Wrigley, of Bloomington, Illinois, and Vicki (David) Todd Good, of Bluffton, North Carolina; and two very special friends that were like family, Mike and Mary Heffernan, of Danville, Illinois. She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, John D. Todd; one sister, Joan M. Willard Richards; one sister-in-law, Lillian Higgins Todd and a niece, Renay Richards Rossi. She attended the Washington University School of Fine Arts in St. Louis, Missouri, where she majored in fashion illustration. She was hired as a fashion illustration artist by Famous Barr, also in St. Louis, after graduating. Jane later worked as a freelance artist for Meis Bros., Kays and Deutsch Uptown; an art director and artist for Carson Pirie Scott until it closed and designed children’s clothing and bonnets for Ruth Drappo. Interior decorating was her talent and love. She was an employee of The Furniture Forum until it closed in 1980. She was a former member of many groups, including the Danville Art League, The Governor Bradford Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Red Mask Players, The Old Towne Preservation Society and was a supporter of the Fisher Theatre Renovation and a member of the United Methodist Women, St. James United Methodist Church, Roselawn School of Fitness. She was an avid golfer and a member of the Elks Ladies Golf Association, Harrison Park Woman’s Golf Association and the genealogy association for the Willard Family Association. Jane especially loved her grandchildren and their spouses, whom she was very proud of for all their accomplishments.Jane will be interred at the VA National Cemetery in Danville, Illinois where a memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for memorials to St. James United Methodist Church or The Old Towne Preservation Society, both in Danville.