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Jane Meldrum 1925-2023 Jane MacKnight Meldrum, age 98, a resident of Rosemont, PA, formerly of Radnor, died December 15, 2023. Jane was born in Englewood, NJ, the youngest of three children of Andrew and Olive MacKnight. She was predeceased by them and by her brothers Watson (Skip) and John (Jack). After graduating from Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood in 1943 she attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, traveling there by train, despite wartime travel restrictions, and finished her undergraduate education at Barnard College, (Class of 1947) with a degree in chemistry. After working at Lederle Laboratories in Manhattan, Jane married Edward B. Dawson, Jr., also of Englewood, in 1949 and with him raised four children, all of whom survive her: Ellen Ferrise of Plainsboro, NJ, Alice Dawson of Punta Gorda, FL, Thomas Dawson (Jerre) of Wilton, CT and James Dawson of Klamath Falls, OR. She is also survived by five grandchildren: Elena LaFemina (Al), Joseph Ferrise, and Ian (Ashley), Andrew and William Dawson and by five great-grand children. She is also survived by four sisters-in-law: Barbara Briller, Virginia Van Vorst, Joan Davis and Linda Dawson and three nieces. After mastering a wide variety of homemaking skills, e.g. sewing (including slipcovers and drapes), knitting, chair caning and furniture refinishing, pickling, canning, and jelly making, Jane returned to school in the early 1970’s to obtain her Masters degree in Library Science from Columbia University, subsequently working as a cataloger (her specialty) at the Ossining (NY) public library and after re-locating to Pennsylvania, at Villanova University and The American College (of Financial Services). She found great enjoyment in her work, colleagues, library patrons, and involvement in the Special Libraries Association. In 1996 she reconnected with John (Jack) Meldrum, a fellow Dwight Morrow graduate but also a friend and teammate (on the First Presbyterian Church “Hawks” basketball team) of her brother Jack. After marrying in 1997, she and Jack lived happily in Radnor, spending as much time as possible each summer in Cape May Point until Jack’s passing in 2014. She is also survived by her step-children John (Theresa) of Shreveport, LA and Beth Earp (Tom) of Haddonfield, NJ and their families. A private service is planned, followed by interment at Brookside Cemetery, Englewood, NJ. A memorial gathering is to be held at The Mansion at Rosemont at a later date. To remember Jane, consider this: on Thursday afternoon, December 14th, while in the cardiac care unit, a young male nurse asked if he could bring her anything. Her response was: “Yes, I would like a glass of white wine and some crackers,” which was what she and Jack enjoyed every evening. So, sometime soon, open a bottle of your favorite white wine and raise a glass to Jane. In lieu of flowers, a contribution in Jane’s memory to The Friendship Fund of the Mansion at Rosemont (404 Cheswick Place, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010) to support the needs of residents who have outlived their assets would be welcomed.

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Jane Meldrum

August 6, 1925 - December 15, 2023