Jane Folsom

ALFRED — Jane Hastings Folsom, 88, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016 at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough.

Jane was born in Fryeburg on June 25, 1928, the daughter of Hugh Warren and Martha (Fifield) Hastings.

She was educated in the Fryeburg school system, graduating from Fryeburg Academy in 1945. While at the Academy, Jane was a very fun-loving young lady and she was very active in sports. After graduating from Fryeburg Academy, Jane attended the University of Maine at Orono, where she met the love of her life, John Folsom. John played his trumpet every weekend so he could earn enough money to buy Jane’s engagement ring. Now, that’s true love!

Jane graduated in 1949 with a dietitian degree, and she and John soon became engaged; they were married in Fryeburg on Oct. 23, 1949. After their honeymoon at Grampa Hastings camp at Kezar Pond in Fryeburg, they moved first to Springvale and then to Alfred, where they raised their family. Jane and John shared a great love story; one of devotion, trust, adventure and unconditional love.

Jane was a very generous and loving mother. She was a true homemaker in every sense of the word; a woman who loved to bake cookies, moist and abundant pans of brownies and taught many life lessons throughout her day. She was their confidant and would listen to them as only a mother could. With her guidance and a “good dose of reality” all of her children aspired to become loving and caring adults.

Jane loved the Maine winters and downhill skiing, whether it was at Pleasant Mountain or traveling up to the family condo at Sugarloaf. Many happy memories were made from those weekend trips with her children and grandchildren. Jane loved entertaining at her home in Alfred and was known to go out for a swim in her pool late at night! She never lost that childlike sense of adventure!

Jane and John would have celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. It brings her family great comfort knowing they are back together again, perhaps dancing arm-and-arm to big band music. Jane possessed the qualities of being the traditional matriarch of her ever-growing family. She will be dearly loved and missed by her family and many friends within her community.

Survivors include her two sons, John Folsom II and James Folsom of Alfred; her eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren; her sister, Mary Dumas of Alfred; and her brother, Peter Hastings of Fryeburg.

A celebration of Jane’s life will be held on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016 at 3 p.m. at the Curtis Lake Christian Church, 38 Westview Drive, in Sanford.

To leave a message of condolence for the family, please visit www.autumngreenfuneralhome.com

The Autumn Green is respectfully handling arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Hospice of Southern Maine, 180 US Route One, Suite 1, Scarborough, ME 04074.