Janet Jones Singleton of Downingtown

Janet Jones Singleton passed away at 5:15 AM on July 9, 2017.

The daughter of Ralph Cowen Jones and Jean Marie Koppels, she was born on November 2, 1927 in New York Hospital. She grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Shelter Island N.Y. where her family spent summers since her earliest childhood. She was the wife of Ira Custer Singleton, who pre deceased her after 55 years of marriage on January 9, 2006.

Janet graduated from Midwood High School in Brooklyn N.Y. in 1945 where she was active in choral groups. In later years she sang professionally with the Chime Record Company and various community choruses under conductors including Thor Johnson and David Randolph. She was guest soloist in many churches including: Shelter Island Presbyterian, N.Y., Wells Memorial Presbyterian, Brooklyn, N.Y., Glenbrook Presbyterian, Connecticut, Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian, Cincinnati, Ohio, Morristown Presbyterian, N.J., Berwyn Methodist, PA, West Chester Methodist, PA, and most recently was a member of the Central Presbyterian Church in Downingtown PA, singing in the choir from 1979 to 2003.

She graduated from Endicott Junior College in Beverly Mass. in 1947, and then chose between New England Conservatory of Music and Adelphi College in Garden City, N.Y., choosing the latter because of its teaching-oriented curriculum. There she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority and graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science Degree. During these years she worked as a Dental Assist, a runner for a Wall Street firm and a mail assistant in the law firm of Sullivan and Cromwell, N.Y., rather than depending completely on her father owner of the N.Y. advertising firm of Humbert and Jones. Later she completed the Master’s Equivalency by taking courses at various universities as appropriate to her career.

In 1950 she married and began teaching in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., continuing her teaching when her husband was recalled to active military service. Midway through the school year, she joined her husband at Ft. Riley, Kansas and taught in Junction City. Thereafter she taught in Connecticut, Deer Park Ohio, Hanover Township. N.J., and finally in Downingtown PA schools for a total of 25 years. She accompanied a group of visiting professors to Guangdong Educational College in China where she assisted her husband in teaching conversational English classes. She was a volunteer tutor in the Chester County Library Adult Literacy Program.

She is survived by two sons Jeffrey and Kenneth and two daughters-in-law Priscilla and Mary. Also surviving are two grandsons, Matthew and Ken Jr. She was pre-deceased by a sister Patricia Hassett of Cincinnati, Ohio and her beloved granddaughter Emily. She also leaves hundreds of children who have passed through her classrooms. She loved helping little ones and continued to do so for 20 years following her retirement in 1989. At Uwchlan Hills School she acted as the longest serving volunteer aide.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 12, 2017, at the James J. Terry Funeral Home, 736 E. Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown, PA 19335, from 6-8PM, followed by Janet’s Funeral Service Thursday, 2PM July 13, 2017, at the Central Presbyterian Church, 100 W. Uwchlan Avenue, Downingtown, PA 19335. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers please make contributions to the Emily Singleton Memorial Fund, which can be accessed by following the provided link to a page on the Downingtown Area School District’s website (https://www.dasd.org/Page/1950). The fund currently provides a $1,000 scholarship for a graduating senior from DHS - West, but it will grow to include grants for other purposes such as providing books and reading programs for children.

To send an online condolence, visit www.jamesterryfuneralhome.com