Jane Barbara Wasco
Jane Barbara Wasco, 95, a lifetime resident of Stamford, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. Jane was born in Stamford, on August 18, 1923, daughter of the late Raffaele and Marie Louise LaBazzo.
After graduating from Stamford High School, Jane’s career started at the Stamford Location of Sears Roebuck & Co. in the early 1940’s. There, she learned the basics of bookkeeping and financial control in the Accounting Department and sewing techniques in the Upholstery Department. With a strong independent and entrepreneurial spirit, she utilized her talents to start an interior decorating business. She taught her sister, Lee Masone, the trade and the business that would bear both their names – Janie Lee Decorators (the name created by her husband in a particularly-inspired moment) – was born in the mid 1940’s. Balancing a keen eye for proportion, color-coordination and a classic aesthetic with an insistence on perfectly-executed hand-workmanship, determination and personalized service, Jane and her sister produced all manner of interior décor at a level that could not be matched in the industry. As a result, the business would flourish for the next 70+ years with “all finished work product performed on the premises” and no out-sourcing of anything – a business model rarely seen today, but one that allowed her to grow by reputation alone, serving clients from lower Fairfield County to New York City and often generations of the same family. Jane did all this while at the same time always providing for her family and being a devoted and wonderfully-loving mother.
Jane is survived by her loving son Andrew Wasco and his wife Ellen of Greenwich, her cherished grandchildren Andrew Wasco, III and Alexandria Wasco of Greenwich, along with many dear nieces and nephews.
Besides her parents, Jane is predeceased by her beloved husband, Andrew Wasco, and their son Drew Wasco. Her three brothers Frank, Ralph, and Victor LaBazzo also preceded her along with her sister and best friend Lee Masone.
Family and friends may call at the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Ave., Stamford, CT on Monday, April 15, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. A funeral procession will be leaving the funeral home on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at 9:45 a.m. and proceed to Sacred Heart RC Church, 37 Schuyler Ave., Stamford, a Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated at 10:30 a.m., entombment will follow at St. Mary’s Mausoleum, Greenwich, CT.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Jane Barbara Wasco’s Memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105
For online condolences and service details, please visit www. Cognetta.com