Jane Ware Simpkins

Jane Ware Donohue Simpkins, 95, of Henderson, Nevada, formerly of West Gardiner, Maine, passed away on February 16, 2026. Born on August 27, 1930, in Brewer, Maine, she was the first of three daughters of Paul C. Ware and Ida (Harriman) Ware. Jane spent much of her childhood in West Gardiner, a place she always considered home and where she lovingly referred to herself as “Jane from Maine.”

A proud graduate of Gardiner High School in 1948, Jane earned her B.A. from Farmington State Teachers College in 1952. An avid athlete, she was a valuable member of the women’s basketball team, known for her strong rebounding. She began her teaching career as a fourth-grade teacher in Bath, Maine, before moving to Long Island, New York, where she continued teaching. She became the devoted mother of five children, whom she loved with all her heart. The family later moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1968, where Jane raised her children, often as a single mother, with remarkable resilience and deep commitment to her family.

Her lifelong passion for reading and learning led her to return to college in her fifties. In 1973, she earned a Master’s degree in Education, with an emphasis in reading, from Western Michigan University. This dedication to children guided her into a 15-year career with the Michigan Department of Social Services in Children’s Protective Services, where she worked tirelessly to protect and advocate for children facing abuse and neglect. She retired in 1989.

Jane spent many happy years in retirement at Lake Fairways in Fort Myers, Florida, with her beloved husband, George “Jack” Simpkins, until his passing in 2006. She is survived by her five children, Mark R. Donohue and his wife Moira (Halloran) Donohue, Carol J. (Donohue) Gephart and her husband Gregory Gephart, Paul J. Donohue and his wife Renee Donohue, Richard M. Donohue and his wife Sheryl (Huitt) Donohue, and Peter C. Donohue; six grandchildren, all of whom grew up surrounded by books and encouraged to love reading; and many nieces and nephews in Maine and the New York area. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Joyce (Ware) Willoughby and Lois (Ware) Thurston.