Jane Eleanor Gray

PORTAGE -- Jane Eleanor Gray, age 86, of Portage, passed away peacefully at her home on November 1, 2021.
Jane was born on August 16, 1935, in Portage, the daughter of Emil and Leone (Eulberg) Wenzel. She attended St. Mary’s Grade School and graduated from Portage High School in 1953. She then graduated from Madison Business College in 1954.
She married Dale Gray in 1956 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and they celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in April of this year. After working as a secretary at UW-Madison and the Portage Clinic, she took time off to raise their six children. She retired in 1998 from Penda Corporation.

Jane enjoyed baking (especially chocolate chip cookies and zucchini bread), reading, knitting, jigsaw puzzles, word puzzles, and family camping trips when her children were young. Later, she and Dale would visit friends and family in Nevada and Arizona and spend summer weekends in Door County. They traveled to Germany in 1988 for the baptism of one of their grandchildren, and they enjoyed an Eastern Caribbean cruise in 2009. What Jane treasured most, though, was family time. She enjoyed celebrating birthdays and holidays in her home, often with more than 25 people in the house.

Nicknamed “Saint Jane” by her family, she was known for her strong faith, loving nature, grace, patience, and selflessness. One of her favorite expressions was “Oh, My Lordy God!” Jane dearly loved her children and grandchildren, and that love was returned a hundred-fold. As her grandchildren grew up and went off to college, they made it a point to visit Grandma whenever they were in town. She was always prepared to send them back to school with her much-loved chocolate chip cookies.
As her illness progressed, Jane never complained about her fate or her pain. Instead, she talked about how ready she was to leave her earthly life and begin her eternal life with Jesus.

She is survived by her husband Dale; their children Greg (Theresa) of New Auburn, Laurie (Perry) Schroeder of Pewaukee, Dan (Judy) of Eau Claire, Tim (Drema) of Big Flats, Tom of Madison, and Susie (Fritz) Hammer of Endeavor; 16 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren; her brother Peter Wenzel of Wauwatosa; brothers-in-law Tom (Carol Simonson) Gray of Portage and Richard Dushek of Plano, TX; sister-in-law Sally Gray of Portage; and many cherished nieces, nephews, and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters-in-law Diane Wenzel, Phyllis Dushek, Mary Gray, and Marcella Gray; and brothers-in-law David Gray and Gerald Gray.

Visitation will be at 9:30am on Saturday, November 20, at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Temporary Worship Space, 2652 Murphy Road, Portage, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00am with Fr. Gary Krahenbuhl presiding.
Donations in Jane’s memory may be made to St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception (309 W. Cook Street, Portage, WI  53901) or to Agrace Foundation (5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Madison, WI  53711). Both organizations accept online donations.

Jane’s family would like to thank Fr. Gary Krahenbuhl and Nancy Davis of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception for their prayers and inspiring visits; Brianna, Natalie, Alysa, and CNAs at Agrace Hospice Care for their compassionate and tender care during Jane’s cancer journey; Angela Gray (truly an angel) for her immeasurable assistance, kindness, and favors to Jane and Dale over many years; and Jane’s dear friends and relatives who brought treats, flowers, and gifts and kept her company during her illness. Jane will be deeply missed and forever loved.