Jane Neumann Lally (November 24, 1922 - June 18, 2018) - Born in Cincinnati, Ohio and the daughter of German immigrants, she graduated from Walnut Hills College Preparatory High School. She excelled as a student and was on the swim team, continuing that sport until her 90s. Her father Carl was a professional musician and her mother Ida was an astute business woman. After high school, Jane worked as a secretary for a few years to fund her college tuition and graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1947 with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. She played flute in the college marching band, piano, and was very knowledgeable about classical music.
She met her future husband, Robert W. Lally, at the Cincinnati Zoo summer opera. They courted there and would go dancing at Moon Light Gardens at Coney Island just upriver. They married in 1947 and moved to Newburgh, NY, where they raised their family for nearly 20 years. They were married for 52 years, until Robert’s passing in 1999.
She was an active mother who enjoyed ice skating, hiking and canoeing. She also was an excellent seamstress and made most of the family wardrobes. Jane served as an administrator of Newburgh Planned Parenthood in the early 1960s. Her greatest and longest passion was gardening; a Master Gardener in the State of Connecticut, she referred to most plants by their botanical names. On road trips in the family station wagon, Jane was the driving force behind planning destinations - the family visited many National Parks, beaches, and elaborately gardened estates. She loved planting trees, shrubs, flower and vegetable gardens. It gave her great pleasure to share the seedlings and bounty from her labors. She loved learning, reading, and keeping up with the daily news, especially political events, and had a keen intellect right up until the end.
She leaves behind three children - Nancy Lally (Soliman Soliman), New Orleans, LA; Fred Lally (Myrna Lemke-Lally), Nicholson, PA; and Bruce Lally, who resided with her in Ridgefield, CT and was her loving caretaker for the last decade. Also three grandchildren - Erica Lally (Washington, DC), Soheil Soliman (San Francisco, CA), and Sally Soliman (Durham, NC). Funeral services will be private and at the convenience of the family.
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