Jane F. Cargill

Jane F. (Doherty) Cargill passed peacefully in the comfort of her own home in Stoneham, MA, on March 2, 2021 in the care of her devoted family. Cherished wife of the late John F. Cargill, she is survived by her loving children, John M. Cargill and his wife Donna (Sannella) of Melrose; Philip M. Cargill of Medford, Katherine M. (Cargill) Whelan and her husband Robert Whelan of Reading; Noreen A. Cargill and partner Gary Bamberger of St. Albans, VT; and Stephen C. Cargill of Stoneham. Loving grandmother of Zachary Whelan, Meghan Whelan, Kiley Cargill and Colin Cargill, she was their proud Nana. Daughter of the late John Doherty and Gertrude (Hickey), she is the dear sister of John Doherty and the late Maureen (Ford) of San Rafael, CA and Katherine M. (Doherty) and James Brogan of Albuquerque, NM. Jane is the beloved daughter-in-law of the late Frank J. Cargill and Eileen (OKeefe) and sister-in-law of Joan (Cargill) and the late Hedley Patterson of Woonsocket, RI,  Josephine (Marino) and the late Paul Cargill of Saugus, Eileen (Cargill) Pickering of Rockland, ME, and the late Francis Cargill. Jane is survived by many adoring nieces and nephews, and her loving cousins and lifelong friends as well as friends throughout life met through the Stoneham Garden Club, Stoneham Senior Center and Winchester Bridge Club, as well as many other clubs and organizations over the years.

Jane discovered her passion for nursing early in life after stepping on a rusty nail near the family home in Charlestown. Enamored with the care that she received at that time and then bolstered by hours spent with “her nose in a book,” as she would say, reading the Cherry Ames Nursing Adventure series, Jane was inspired to pursue a lifelong career. Lively, determined and courageous, Jane was a graduate of Saint Elizabeth School of Nursing in Boston and a medical surgical nurse for many years before transitioning to work as a psychological nurse in the 1970s. During her long career she served at hospitals including Saint Elizabeth’s, New England Memorial and the Veteran’s Administration. Still using her nursing skills even near the end at age 83, Jane assisted her own nurses at her bedside by sharing expert suggestions and an appreciative “okay” sign with technique done well.

Jane enjoyed time with her fellow colleagues on the hospital floor and outside of work valued time with friends square dancing earlier in life and playing bridge in more recent years. She loved chatting with family and friends and could comment thoughtfully on any news item on the left or right informed by a variety of newspapers, news programs and documentaries. She was driven and focused in her curiosity researching everything from bitcoin to the changing marijuana laws to every aspect of WWII. “Never a dull read when it’s about our history,” she said recently. She had a strong faith and felt a special connection to Padre Pio, with a book about the patron saint kept near her favorite reading chair.

A lifelong reader and writer, Jane’s summers at the family cottage in Meredith, NH, included frequent walks and bike rides into town to visit friends and the local library. In lieu of flowers, the family invites those who wish to donate to support the Meredith Library Fund ( [email protected] ).

The family invites friends to join them on Tuesday, March 9 at 10 a.m. for a socially-distanced, COVID-safe funeral mass at St. Patrick’s Parish in Stoneham; and for those who would like to join the mass virtually, please use the following information: