It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Jane

Elizabeth Nelson. Jane was born on March 26th, 1939 and

transitioned out of this life after a long illness at her home in

Albuquerque on March 30th, 2026.

Jane was the second child born to Donald Petersen and Eva

Bernice Rice. She is preceded in death by her parents, her

first husband Richard Nelson, and her granddaughter Kathleen.

She is survived by her loving partner of forty-three years, David

Robbins, her children Richard (Michele) and Leslie, her

grandchildren Jackie and Michael, her great-granddaughter

Effy, her sister Louise Lopina, her brother Don Petersen, and her

nieces Kim, Sandy and Amy.

Jane was born in Chicago, and like her parents, she was a champion

swimmer. Her father Donald swam on a relay team with Johnny

Weissmuller setting a world record at the time. Up to the age of

19 Jane spent a lot of time in training and at swim meets.

In her spare time she became a magician. She started by using

sleight-of-hand to avoid putting the money her parents gave her in

the offering plate at church; instead she used it to buy magic

tricks. Years later she would put on shows at her children’s

birthday parties.

Once she finished her education degree at Northern Illinois University and

her children were of school age, she started teaching kindergarten (and

later third grade) at Indian Knoll Elementary School in West Chicago. She

loved teaching and her students loved her and her fun projects in the

classroom. One such activity was making a “gerbil run,” which allowed the

gerbils to travel through a ventilated tube above the students’

desks from one side of the class to the other.

On weekends Jane enjoyed playing tennis, collecting fossils with her family

at the Peabody coal company strip mines, sewing, spending time with her

dog, and making terrariums.

Jane moved with her children to New Mexico in 1976 and

landed a job at the IRS where she became a revenue

agent and met her life partner Dave.

After her retirement she particularly enjoyed her creative projects which

included photography, jewelry making, silk painting,

mosaics and photo shop. She and Dave enjoyed taking art

classes. Many of her friends and family members received

thoughtful and sometimes hilarious home-made photo shopped

cards and other creative gifts.

Jane was such an animal lover and especially enjoyed her dogs. She was

also a crow enthusiast, spending a lot of time photographing them, and at

one point, with her partner Dave, even rescuing them.

Jane spent many Friday and Saturday mornings going to garage

sales and thrift stores with her son Rich. She amassed great

collections of swizzle sticks, music boxes, tennis rackets, animal

figurines, and any other kind of treasure that caught her eye. She

didn’t believe in throwing broken things away, but instead spent

time restoring them. One of her favorite activities was purchasing

paintings at thrift stores or garage sales and then reinventing

them, turning them into whimsical art pieces that included cows

being abducted by aliens, smoking crows, radioactive ponds with rubber

ducks and mythological sea creatures, among other things.

Jane never ran out of creative ideas. She liked putting out art

supplies on the large dining room table and making art and

collaborating with friends and family. Both of her grandchildren

credit her as a key influence in their decision to pursue the arts.

Jane was kindhearted, creative, thoughtful, intelligent and funny.

Her family and friends sought her sage advice and appreciated

her honesty, empathy, capacity for happiness and joie de vivre.

She will be sorely missed.

A celebration of life memorial service will be held for Jane on June 25,

2026, 11:00 a.m., at the First Congretional United Church of Christ, 2801

Lomas Blvd. NE, ABQ, 87016.