Jane Carolyn Sachs

Jane Carolyn Sachs died peacefully on April 1, 2026, at her residence on Bainbridge Island, Washington. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, teacher, and friend.

Born on March 17, 1938, in Los Angeles, California, Jane was the second child of Harvey (Mac) and Charlotte McIvor. The family moved to Seattle, Washington in 1941, as Mac secured war work at the Seattle shipyards.

Jane attended High Point Elementary and James Madison Junior High in West Seattle. It was at Madison (7th grade) that Jane met her lifelong friend and future sister-in-law, Rosina. Jane graduated from West Seattle High School in 1956 and then earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Western Washington College (now Western Washington University) in 1960. At Western, Jane also participated in synchronized swimming as a Blue Barnacle, worked in Old Main as a switchboard operator and as a secretary in the Dean’s Office, and served as the vice-president of the Associated Women Students.

From 1960-1963, Jane taught second and third grades in the Highline School District. One fateful summer day during this time, Jane’s brother, Bruce, invited his roommate, Tom, to dinner at his parents’ house in West Seattle. Jane was picking cherries in a tree in the backyard when she met John Thomas (Tom) Sachs. Jane and Tom were wed in Seattle on June 9, 1962, at St. Edward’s Catholic Church.

In 1963, Jane and Tom moved to San Jose, California, where Tom had taken a job at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company. Jane taught second grade for one year in Saratoga, California, before she and Tom had their first child, John, in 1965, followed by Wendy (‘71), Katie (‘74), and Kevin (‘75). Jane was a full-time mother and wife from 1964 to 1978.

In 1977, after deciding California was getting too crowded for their tastes, Tom and Jane purchased 80 acres from Tom’s parents and moved back to Washington. They built their dream home on this forested property in Onalaska.

Jane was a dedicated early childhood educator, who especially loved teaching children to read. Soon after moving back to WA, Jane went back to the classroom - teaching preschool at Centralia College and at the Mossyrock Cooperative Preschool. She also served as an advisor and parent educator at Centralia College and as a substitute teacher in various local public school districts before taking a full-time position at Mossyrock Elementary School. She taught first grade for 13 years at Mossyrock and retired at the end of the school year, in 2000. Jane was a long-time member of the Washington Association for the Education of Young Children and of the international honorary society for women educators, Delta Kappa Gamma. She was a dedicated member of the Onalaska Scholarship Fund Committee, helping fund and award scholarships to graduating OHS seniors.

Jane’s service to others was central to her life. She was a very active member of the St. Francis Xavier Parish in Toledo, Washington, where she served as a Eucharistic Minister, lector, CCD teacher, and as a member of the Parish Council and The Saint Vincent de Paul Society. Jane was a leader in the local 4-H club while her three youngest children were growing up. She taught cooking, sewing, and gardening, and mentored the club members in demonstrations and public speaking.

In addition to spending time with her family, Jane loved caring for her flower garden and incorporating the native forest plants like trillium and bleeding heart into her landscaping. She also assisted Tom with the vegetable garden and processing the tremendous amount of fruit and vegetables that Tom grew every year. She was an avid reader (who loved a good mystery novel), quilter, crafter, sewist, baker, and crossword enthusiast. She was well known for her pie made from the wild blackberries found in abundance around the home.

In 2020, Jane and Tom moved from their beloved property in Onalaska to Bainbridge Island, WA, to be closer to their children and healthcare providers. Jane’s family would like to thank Fieldstone of Bainbridge Island and Wyatt House staff and caregivers as well as her healthcare providers for their generous care.

Jane will be remembered for her selfless care of others, her devotion to family, education, and community.

Jane is preceded in death by her loving and devoted husband Tom, with whom she was happily married for over 62 years. Jane will be dearly missed by her brother Bruce and sister-in-law Rosina McIvor (niece Jeanne and nephew Michael); by her children: John (wife Laura), Wendy (husband Peter Butzerin), Katherine, and Kevin (wife Julianne); and her grandchildren: Mitchell Sachs, Andre Sachs, Miles Sachs, Thomas Butzerin, Teresa Butzerin, Isabel Sachs, and Luke Sachs.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00AM on May 8, 2026, at St. Francis Xavier Mission in Toledo, Washington. Interment at the St. Francis Xavier cemetery and reception at the parish hall will immediately follow the funeral mass.

Contributions in memory of Jane may be made to the Onalaska Scholarship Fund, the Delta Kappa Gamma Washington State Scholarship Fund, or the St. Vincent de Paul Society, St. Francis Xavier Conference, 139 Spencer Road, Toledo WA, 98591 (360-864-4130).

Arrangements are entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island, WA.