Designer loved dogs and was a skilled horsewoman
READING — Jane M. Given, 60, of Reading, passed away on December 28, 2021 at Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers.
She is survived by her beloved husband Bobby, her sisters Susan Chinappi and her husband Louis of Peabody, Tricia Coffey and her husband Brian of Lynnfield, her brother Robert Murphy and his wife Sarah of Quincy, and her sisters-in-law Elizabeth Murphy of Hamilton, Leeila Given of Wakefield and Nancy Sleger and her husband Mark of Wakefield, her Aunt Patricia of Florida and so many wonderful cousins and friends.
She was pre-deceased by her parents, Jane and Robert Murphy of Gloucester, formerly of Wakefield, and her brother, Stephen J. Murphy of Hamilton.
She was deeply loved and cherished by her nieces and nephews: David & Andrea Chinappi, Sam & Hannah Murphy, Kevin & Kyleigh Murphy, Jeff & Andrew Sleger, Shelby O’Brien and her husband Michael. Jane was a loving and devoted wife, sister, aunt, cousin and friend. She married her high school sweetheart, Bobby, with whom she shared 30 happy years of marriage.
Jane’s love of dogs was legendary. She was the proprietor of Good Dog Walking, Inc., and could be found in the Reading Woods everyday hiking with her two Irish wolfhounds and an impressive assembly of others, earning her the affectionate nickname: Jane of the Forest.
She had a kind and compassionate nature and room in her heart for all creatures. For all of her adult life Jane was a sensitive and skilled horsewoman, most recently having cultivated an amazing connection with her beloved horse, Wellington. She practiced Natural Horsemanship where she believed in and advocated for treating horses with intuitive understanding and respect.
Jane was always creative with color and design. She worked at Gillette as an art coordinator and after 25 years left to start her own design company: Scarlett DreamCoats, where she created coats and accessories for dogs that were beautiful, whimsical and fun. Jane enjoyed annual boating trips to Lake Winnipesaukee as a special time with family and friends — swimming, waterskiing, tubing and sunset cruises — creating lasting memories.
Her funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at Saint Patrick’s Church, 71 Central St., Stoneham, MA at 10 a.m. Burial will be held privately in the future.
Services are in the care of the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield. For guestbook, www.mcdonaldfs.com
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jane’s name to Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923 or New England Equine Rescue North, 52 Ash St., West Newbury, MA 01985.
