Jane Marie Rudio (Verwulst) of Gloversville, New York passed away peacefully on July 15, 2014 following a three and a half year battle with cancer. Her final days were spent in the loving care of Mountain Valley Hospice in Gloversville, with her family by her side. She was 68 years old.
Born in 1945 to Leonard and Mary Verwulst, Jane was raised on her family’s farm in Hilton, New York. Her time on the farm instilled a deep appreciation for nature’s beauty and inspired a lifelong passion for art and the great outdoors.
Jane graduated from SUNY College at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education in 1968 and earned a Master of Education from Syracuse University in 1971. For more than thirty years, she shared her love of the arts with young minds as a junior and high school art teacher in Romulus, Phelps and Newark, New York.
Jane was also an active volunteer. She organized educational summer exchange programs for students from Newark’s sister school in Russia, and spent countless hours painting beautiful stage sets for the theater program at Midlakes High School. She served as a trainer and troop leader for the Seven Lakes Girl Scout Council for many years, sharing her love of camping and outdoor cooking with fellow leaders and scouts.
Jane’s first love, however, was her family.
In 1971 Jane married Ronald Rudio, and they had two children, Christian and Cara. The family enjoyed an active lifestyle, hiking, skiing and exploring the eastern U.S. in their camper. Jane loved to travel and was deeply committed to showing her children the places and cultures beyond their home town of Phelps, New York.
Upon retirement, Jane and Ron made frequent trips to visit their children and enjoyed vacationing with relatives in the U.S. and abroad. In 2006, they moved to Peck Lake in the Adirondack mountains, where they could kayak, hike, ski and share the wild and beautiful surrounds of “Camp Rudio” with their friends and family.
Upon retirement, Jane and Ron made frequent trips to visit their children and enjoyed vacationing with relatives in the U.S. and abroad. In 2006, they moved to Peck Lake in the Adirondack mountains, where they could kayak, hike, ski and share the wild and beautiful surrounds of “Camp Rudio” with their friends and family.
Traveling and camping provided much inspiration for Jane’s artwork, which she pursued with increased fervor in her retirement. She was an accomplished watercolorist, participating in several plein air groups and exhibiting her work throughout the Adirondack region.
Jane’s affection for painting was matched only by her aptitude for gardening and cooking, two lifelong passions she delighted in sharing. She cooked for her children’s sports teams and scout troops, and always ensured that all “her kids” were fueled with delicious, hot meals on the ski hill, in the campsite, or wherever their adventures took them. She offered baking and canning lessons to all who expressed interest, and distributed the bounty of her gardens all year long.
Jane is survived by her husband of 43 years, their two children, daughter-in-law Lauren, grandsons Blake and Nathan, sister Arlene Porcelli and her nieces and nephews.
A life remembrance celebration for friends and family will be held at Jane and Ron's home later this year. Memorial contributions may be made to Mountain Valley Hospice at 108 Steele Avenue, Gloversville, NY 12078 or mountainvalleyhospice.com.
