Jane O Chagnon

Jane Orrise Chagnon, 91, of Plattsburgh, New York, passed peacefully at home on June 16, 2022. Jane was born and grew up in Champlain, NY where she was a student at St. Mary's Academy. In her mid-teens she moved to Plattsburgh where she graduated from St. John’s Academy in 1947 at the age of 16. She remained a devout Roman Catholic her entire life, attending weekly services at St. Peter’s Church for more than 70 years.

After high school graduation Jane gained full-time employment as an operator with New England Telephone. She worked for various incarnations of the “Telephone Company”, before semi-retiring from Verizon in the mid 1980’s. After that, she went to work for a former colleague as an operator at a local answering service. She remained in this position well into her ‘70’s, until her eventual full retirement.

Jane was a totally unselfish person, one whose life was centered on love and care for others.
She never married, but devoted herself to her sister Wanda McDonald’s family, a single mother with four children. Jane was a surrogate parent to her niece and nephews and was well known to children throughout the neighborhood simply as “Aunt Jane”.

She was an avid baseball fan, especially the New York Mets; she also loved cats and dogs, and enjoyed crossword puzzles and jigsaw-puzzles. Jane always kept current on local, national and international news. She cast her first vote in 1952 for Adlai Stevenson, and never missed a chance to vote in every election thereafter. Jane had a vibrant sense of humor, with an easy laugh, quick to share a joke or a pun with anyone who would listen. She also had a sweet tooth and never said “no” to pie, cake, donuts, muffins or ice cream (though she kept slim and fit). She showed courage, resilience and silent fortitude in enduring cancer four times after the age of 60.

She is predeceased by her parents Alexis Chagnon and Viola Chagnon (née Langlois), her sister Wanda McDonald, and her great-nephew Jeffrey McDonald Jr.

Jane is survived by three nephews: Paul McDonald and his wife Fiona of Cork, Ireland; Jeffrey McDonald and his wife Claudine of Pittsburgh, PA; Stephen McDonald and his wife Christina of Plattsburgh, NY; and by her niece, Jane Brown (née McDonald) and her husband Stephen Brown of Burlington, VT. She is also survived by two great nephews, Brendan McDonald and his partner Sara Velett of Plattsburgh, Evan McDonald and his wife Allyson of Saranac, NY; and by two great-nieces, Genevieve King of Burlington, VT, and Maeghan McDonald and her partner Joe Viapiano of Buffalo, NY. She is also survived by two great-great-nephews and two great-great-nieces.

Calling hours will be held at Brown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh on Thursday, June 23, 2022 from 4:00 to 6:00pm, to be followed by a short prayer service. A graveside service will be held at St. Amadeus Cemetery in Alburgh, VT on Friday, June 24 at 9:30am.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Brown Funeral Home, 29 Broad St. Plattsburgh, NY 518-561-3980. Online condolences may be offered at brownfuneralhomeinc.com