Jane Marvin Whitner's Obituary
Jane Marvin Whitner was born on August 29, 1935 in Oakland, California. Soon after her birth, it was discovered that she had cerebral palsy. As a young child, she was selected to be a member of a small group of children with cerebral palsy to receive special schooling on the grounds of the Children’s Hospital in Oakland. This group not only received a wonderful public school education but also special services, family support assistance and daily physical therapy through Children’s Hospital.
She was in this special educational program from her preschool years until high school at which time she attended Castlemont High School in Oakland where she became Valedictorian of her graduating class. After high school, Jane attended San Jose State College where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree and then went on to the University of California at Berkeley, where she lived at the International House while she earned her Master’s Degree. Her business career was mostly spent working as a computer programmer usually in the field of bio-statistics for both public and private companies. Over her lifetime she lived in both California and Washington D. C.
Jane was determined not to allow her cerebral palsy to deter her from doing whatever she set her heart and mind on doing.She traveled to far-off places including Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, the Philippines, India and New Zealand. She continued to expand her horizons by taking Continuing Education courses at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, for many years and was signed-up to start her next class this January, 2017. In recognition of her achievements in this area, Stanford honored her at a special ceremony in 2006. Most important to Jane was the fact that in spite of having severe cerebral palsy, she managed to live independently in her own apartment from the day she graduated from high school to her very last moments when she died peacefully in her sleep with family at her side.
Jane is predeceased by her father, Chauncey Hill Whitner, and her mother, Alice Belle Cromwell Whitner, of Oakland, California. She is survived by her sister, Marian Whitner Rossi, of Pebble Beach, California, and her two nephews, Christopher M. Rossi, of Piedmont, California, and Stephen E. Rossi, of South Pasadena, California and also by her great-nephews, Alan Rossi and Gavin Rossi, and her great-nieces, Iyla Rossi, Leily Rossi and Alexandra Rossi.
Friends are invited to join the family at a memorial service to be held at the Chapel of the Chimes Mortuary, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, on Saturday , January 14th, 2017 at 1:00 pm in the Chimes Chapel..
The family requests that those wishing to honor Jane with a donation to her favorite non-profit organization, please make their donation to the following: International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave., Berkeley, California 94720
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