Jane Loren Sedgwick

COLUMBUS - Jane Scott wore many hats in her lifetime: devoted sister, loving wife, teacher, editor, journalist, cat wrangler, and single mom of five children. She was a “joiner” who believed in being busy and always productive. She was named her high school’s recipient of the award for “member of the most clubs.” She was active in her church and choir and was an ardent participant in Vaud-villities for decades, where she loved the stage lights and made many of her own costumes. She loved meeting new people and was always interested in the world around her, as evidenced by her daily reading of the Columbus Dispatch from cover to cover. She kept many mementos from childhood: pictures, letters, awards, grade cards, ribbons, medals, receipts, and picture books. She kept the spirit and essence of her childhood, delighting in cake and balloons, and always loved a good party. Her drink of choice was a Bloody Mary and she always enjoyed a good cheeseburger and an ear of sweet corn. Mom was a consummate hostess and always made everyone feel at ease and welcome. She and her first husband, Kirk Tarrier, had a large group of friends, and often attended bridge parties. As the evening wore on, the partygoers would gather around the piano, and Jane was the one at the keys, displaying the mastery achieved after 13 years of childhood lessons.

Jane graduated from North High School in 1944, and briefly worked as a Red Cross volunteer afterwards, serving our troops bound for Europe and the D-day invasion. After the war, Jane graduated from the Ohio State University, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, and later her Master’s degree in Education. She had a great love of the university, its culture, the arts and the Buckeyes. She shared her love of OSU with both of her husbands, who were also OSU graduates, for a combined 47 years of married life. Her children were raised to be avid fans, attending OSU classes and sporting events. She worked for a while on the “Early Worm” Irwin Johnson’s radio show on WBNS in Columbus, rubbing shoulders with such luminaries as Louis Armstrong and Tony Bennett. In 1962, Jane began working as the Managing Editor of the OSU College of Medicine Journal, a job she loved and at which she excelled. In those early years, she was the ultimate multitasker, literally producing the journal single-handedly. She was the writer, editor, photographer and—this was long before magazines were assembled digitally—a crack cut-and-paster. With red grease pencil in hand and a jar of rubber cement at the ready, she often laid out the entire journal on our kitchen table. Her tenure at the Journal lasted 24 years, until she retired in 1986. It was a most-fitting career for her, as she had majored in Journalism at OSU, where she earned the nickname Scoop. Jane expanded her career in Journalism, when she taught Journalism classes at Franklin University, in addition to her role at the College of Medicine Journal. She even managed to persuade ‘60 Minutes’ journalist Morley Safer to speak to her Journalism class at Franklin on one occasion. She was a devoted Kappa Alpha Theta and was recently honored as a 75-year member with the sorority. Jane spent the last few years of her life at First Community Village, where she was a contributing editor to the community newsletter, and where everyone knew her name. She spent countless hours in their art room, creating lovely paintings that many of us have displayed in our homes.

Jane was preceded in death by her parents, James and Grace Loren, sister Annabel (Bunny) Young, son Mark Tarrier, and husbands Kirk Tarrier and Cy Sedgwick. Jane is survived by her children: Randy (Debra) Tarrier, August Tarrier, Jeffrey (Mary) Tarrier, Kathy (Susan Baird) Tarrier, Grandchildren Chase Tarrier, Hanley Baird, Emily & Abby Tarrier, and great-grandchild Samantha Baird.