Jane Alexander

Maggie Valley, NC - Jane Alexander, a Renaissance woman who created beauty wherever she went, died peacefully at her home Saturday, surrounded by family. She was 79. At various stages in her life, she was a journalist, an artist, a photographer and a chef. And to dozens, she was always a generous friend – a presence who constantly inspired others with her warmth, curiosity and zest for life. Raised in Utica, N.Y., she carved out a career in the male-dominated world of science journalism. She became a senior editor at Time-Life Books in New York, and later at various magazines, including Science 80-86 in Washington, D.C. She was captivated by city life, but her now-deceased husband, Tom, coaxed her to leave it to spend summers in a rustic woods camp on the edge of the Smoky Mountains. There, she, Tom and their two children built an authentic log cabin. Later, with the help of workers who actually knew what they were doing, that cabin grew to become the magnificent log house where Jane happily spent the rest of her years. She filled her home with eclectic folk art. She entertained dozens with her lively dinner parties. And she quickly fell under the spell of the Smokies, where she learned as much about native plants as some of the local experts. She loved beauty, and burned with a desire to create it – in her writing, her cooking, her painting and her photography. She loved her wide and varied circle of friends, an exceptionally caring group that likes to laugh, think and create. And she loved her two children, instilling in them a respect for learning, hard work and self-sufficiency. She is survived by her son, Ames, and his wife, Alison, of Charlotte; her daughter, Amanda, of Mountain Home; a brother, Bob, of Corvallis, Oregon; a sister, Mary, of Belmont, California; and two grandchildren, Cole and Liam. The family will host a celebration of her life on Saturday, November 1. It will be held at 1:00 p.m. in the Ranch House of Cataloochee Ranch, 119 Ranch Drive, Maggie Valley, NC. In lieu of flowers, friends may make a contribution in her memory to REACH of Haywood County, P.O. Box 206, Waynesville, NC 28786, or Sarge's Animal Rescue Foundation – www.sargeandfriends.org.

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