Jane E. Hunt

Jane E. Hunt (nee Dearden), of West Chester, PA, passed away on October 6, 2025.

Jane was predeceased by her husband, of 51 years, John P. Hunt. She is survived by her four children, Cheryl Hunt, Laura Hunt Little, Jeffrey M. Hunt, and Gregory J. Hunt. She has nine Grandchildren: Shawn and Nicholas Carrillo, Kurt and Adam Schawacker, Ashley L. Hunt, Evangeline V. Hunt and Jaxon Hunt, and Connor and Patrick Little.

John and Jane were married May 25, 1968. In 1972 they participated in a Marriage Encounter and following this experience became involved in volunteering and serving in their parish. In 1975 they attended their first prayer meeting and became music ministers for the weekly parish prayer meetings. This led to an active Sunday Mass Music Ministry where Jane directed an ensemble at St. John of the Cross leading the congregation in song which lasted over 8 years. During this same period of time Jane attended classes on contemplative prayer at the Carmelite Monastery in Philadelphia, and was professed as a Third Order or Lay Carmelite in 1976.

Jane was active in the Catholic Church as a Music Minister for over 26 years. She played the organ, piano and guitar serving in several parishes in the Archdiocese: St. John of the Cross, King of Peace, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Thomas Aquinas, SS. Simon and Jude, St. Joseph's in Downingtown and the Malvern Retreat House.

As a parish volunteer, she participated at St. Patrick Parish in Malvern for five years in the Religious Education Program receiving the Archdiocesan St. John Neumann award for service for this work and in the RCIA program there for 7 years helping prepare candidates to be received into the Catholic Church. She has sung at numerous weddings and funerals over the years. She also taught music in the elementary school at St. Charles Borromeo in Drexel Hill from 1999-2002. Along with her husband John, she has directed various music ensembles and choirs which provided music for Sunday Masses from 1978-2004. She and her husband also sang in the Proclamation Presbyterian Choir for 7 years from 2004 to 2011 under the director of Vince Treadway. She greatly enjoyed participating as a Soprano in this choir singing the Messiah at Christmastime.

Jane had a great love for Scripture and attended small group bible studies all her married life in one Church or another. She attended Immaculata for studies in Liturgy and Sacraments and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary where she graduated with a Roman Diploma in 1998.

Jane was adept with a needle and thread and has made over 250 banners and altar linens for various Churches in the Archdiocese and also the Malvern Retreat House. She also studied art at Fleisher's Art School in the oil painting class and has done a number of oil paintings and also pencil sketches of her family members.

Family History was important to Jane and she pursued preparing a family history started by her Grandfather, Robert R. Dearden, Jr. giving this ancestry to each of her children which dates back to her forefathers coming to this country in the eighteenth century and further back to England and France.

Before she was married she graduated from Melrose Academy and she worked for four years in the engineering department of the Bell Telephone Company as a drafting clerk.

Relatives and friends are invited to her Visitation 6:00-8:00 PM Thursday, October 9, 2025 at The Donohue Funeral Home, 1627 West Chester Pike, West Chester, PA 19382, 610-431-9000, and 10:30-11:30 Friday at SS Simon & Jude Church, 8 Cavanaugh Court, West Chester, PA 19382, followed by her Funeral Mass at 11:30 AM. Interment Laurel Hill West Cemetery.