Mary Jane Addison, 92, of St. Anthony Park, died peacefully at her home on July 1, 2016.

She was a lifelong teacher with St. Paul Public Schools and past president of American Association of University Women. Mary Jane was a devoted mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother and aunt. She was a member of St. Anthony United Church of Christ for more than 50 years.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill K. Addison. She is survived by her children, Mari Jill Jenson and John. Her funeral service was held July 8 at St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ, with interment at Roselawn Cemetery.

Memories of Mary Jane from her friend of many years, LaVonne Souther: “There was nothing simple about Mary Jane Addison. She was an active, well-educated and complex woman. Her husband, Bill, taught high school Latin. My daughter Sally was among his students. Living in St. Anthony Park, I got to know her early on through St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ. She especially liked Adult Forum. She was a longtime participant in the Loaves and Fishes Project at the Dorothy Day Center in downtown St. Paul. She also contributed a lot to our clothing drive for women who worked.

“Many times after church, a group of women—sometimes four or five, sometimes eight or nine— went out to lunch at various restaurants. Mary Jane tried something different every Sunday.

“In the days when many churches had bazaars and luncheons, our church had a smorgasbord. We served at different times to accommodate teachers and others who worked. Mary Jane always helped with this event. This is just a small part of what she did because she helped in so many ways.”

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