NEWBURYPORT, Mass. — Jane M. Preston (McGowan), 90, wife of the late Roger Williams Preston, passed away on April 21, 2022.
She was born in Stratford and resided in Newburyport, Mass. She was the daughter of the late John W. McGowan and Zelta A. (Coleman) Priestley and the stepdaughter of the late Russell L. Priestley. She was also predeceased by her brother Russell L. Priestley, Jr.
She will be missed by her beloved and devoted son, Roger W. Preston and her daughter-in-law, Cheryl L. Preston of Amesbury, her favorite grandson, Matthew G. Michaud of New York, and her cherished sister-in-law, Beth Priestley.
Jane loved education and children and was a schoolteacher in East Haven, Silver Spring, Md., and Monroe. She also served as the head librarian at Masuk High School.
She earned her Bachelor’s of Science degree at the University of Connecticut and obtained her MLIS from Southern Connecticut University.
She married Roger Williams Preston in 1954 and enjoyed a loving marriage until he died in 1992. Jane was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Denison Society, 1st Congregational Church of Stonington, and the Union Congregational Church of Amesbury.
She volunteered at the Newburyport Library, Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, and the Indian & Colonial Research Center in Old Mystic.
Jane had a zest for travel and enjoyed her trips to Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska and Ireland. Along with travel, she loved singing in chorus, theater, and cats.
She will be missed by her loving family and all the lives she touched during her long life that was brimming with learning, music, theater, culture, faith, and felines.
Burial was private in New Ipswich, N.H. A celebration of her life will be held in June.
In lieu of flowers please make donations to the American Diabetes Association at diabetes.org.
Originally published in the Newburyport News on May 2, 2022.
