Obituary of Violet McLane

Violet McLane, 102, of State College, died at Foxdale Retirement Village on March 23, 2022.

Born June 21, 1919 in Shiocton, Wisconsin, she grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and was the daughter of the late Alfred and Effie Schroeder Sylvester. On March 11, 1944, she married S. Brooks McLane, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was being trained as a radar officer during World War II. He preceded her in death on January 13, 2000.

She is survived by two children, Marsha Haack and her husband, Harvey, of State College and James McLane and his wife, Eliza Hayes, of Petersburg; two daughters in-law, Annette McLane of Washington DC and Paulette McLane of Stormstown; a sister in-law, Edith Sylvester of Wisconsin; three grandchildren, Curren, Christopher and Heather; three great-grandchildren, Keeghan, Hayden, and Lachlan. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by two sons, David McLane and Rogers McLane; two brothers, Emery and Harold Sylvester; two sisters, Mary Ellen Critton and Alice Marquis.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Wisconsin in June of 1941 majoring in related arts.

When three of her children were at Penn State, she received credits there to teach Home Economics. She taught at "Skills" in Bellefonte, an agency for the handicapped for three years teaching homemaking skills. She worked as a volunteer for twelve years at the Volunteer Service Center as the transportation coordinator. She received the Volunteer Service Center Volunteer of the Year award in 1979 for her work there. She was a driver or assistant cook for the Park Forest Day Nursery for many years. She and her husband were active in the early years of Tri County Habitat.

Violet enjoyed drawing and painting in water color and pastel. She was a member of a painting group at Foxdale after she arrived with her husband at Foxdale Retirement Village in 1989. She was a life member of the Art Alliance in Lemont and enjoyed many workshops there. She was also a member of the University Mennonite Church in State College.

A memorial service will be at 1 p.m., on Friday, April 8, 2022 at the Foxdale Village Auditorium, 500 East Marylyn Avenue, State College with the Rev. Kate Heinzel officiating.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Centre Volunteers in Medicine, 2520 Greentech Drive, Suite D, State College, PA. 16803 or to The Community Fund of Foxdale Village, 500 E. Marylyn Ave., State College, PA, 16801.