Obituary of Jane Sales Taggart

Jane Sales Taggart

On September 7, 2018, the world lost some sass and spirit.

Jane Taggart (nee Richmond) was born in Kingston, Ontario to Victor and Lillian Richmond on September 30, 1933.  Growing up during the Great Depression, Jane was 7 when her father left to serve in WWII and 13 when he returned.  Those experiences in her early years helped to form many of Jane’s life-long personality traits - compassion, resourcefulness, financial responsibility, fierce independence (and…perhaps some hoarding tendencies)

Jane pursued a career as a Registered Nurse, thriving in the fast pace of the operating room for many years. After a mid-life hiatus, she returned to nursing, working in private medical practices.  Jane’s skill and warm, approachable personality made her an excellent fit for this line of work; she was well-liked and respected by peers and patients alike.

Jane signed up for a night class in dollhouse making in the early ‘80s.  The instructor didn’t show up…so, she walked across the hall to the cake decorating class, after which her incredibly creative talents became known to the world.  Jane earned the title of “The Cake Lady”, working out of her basement kitchen, making things out of cake that no one thought possible.  Her husband, Jim helped as the “Chairman of the Board” (cake boards, that is).  Many family and friends have fond memories of long conversations and lots of laughs, sitting by Jane while she worked away in her kitchen.

Jane’s home was the saving grace of many cats over the years.  They were skilled at adopting her, even the crazy ones.  She refused to watch any movie where an animal was in danger and provided financial support to animal rescue efforts locally and nationally.  She always said that the only reason she didn’t volunteer at shelters was to avoid coming home with all their inhabitants.

Music was a driving force in Jane.  She was an avid concert-goer, with few genres of music that deterred her.  Pete Seeger, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Nanci Griffith, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi…and at every performance, she’d be belting out the words, clapping her hands and tapping her feet.  Jane especially loved Celtic rock and was her son-in-law Neil’s biggest groupie – sporting her Neil Anderson Fan Club hat at every show.   She also never missed an opportunity to make the music, playing her guitar and singing with family and friends.

Additional pastimes included traveling the world, often via the Highland games circuit (Jim was a piper and Tori a Highland dancer), leisure time at the family cottage in Ontario, reading, tea with friends, collecting Caithness glass, shopping at Costco and especially spending time with her grandchildren, whom she dearly loved.

Jane now joins her loving husband, Jim.  She is survived by her 3 children – Craig Taggart, James Taggart (Judy) and Tori Taggart Anderson (Neil) and her grandchildren Jami Fussell, Greg Dudick, Kelly Taggart, Benny Reiner, Kenton Taggart, Colin Anderson, Jamie Anderson and Kylie Anderson as well as her loving cat, Haley. 

There will be a memorial service planned for later in the fall.  If you would like to honor Jane’s memory, please donate to her favorite cause – any animal rescue organization.

“I'll be there, till the stars don't shine
'Til the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme
I know when I die you'll be on my mind
And I'll love you, always”

• Bon Jovi

Bye for now, Jane.