Obituary of Jane M. Linsky

Elizabeth Jane Moon Linsky, known to her friends as Jane M. Linsky, 97, of State College, died, Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at Foxdale Village Retirement Community.

Born June 26, 1926, in Wilmore, KY, Jane was the daughter of the late Isaac Deane and Nellie Tipton Moon. At the age of ten amid the Great Depression, her family relocated to Louisburg, North Carolina, where her parents joined the faculty of Louisburg College. Jane would attend Louisburg College before transferring to Woman's College of the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, where she completed a BS degree in Home Economics specializing in dietetics.

Following graduation, Jane added an internship in Nutrition at Oklahoma A & M University. She extended her stay in Stillwater an additional year because shortly after arriving she met the love of her life, Boston-born Chester Linsky who was completing an MS in Mechanical Engineering.

September 2, 1949, Jane and Chet were married on her parents' farm near Louisburg. The couple began their married life in Peoria, Illinois where Chet taught at Bradley University. Following his tenure at Bradley, Chet moved his family to Flint Michigan where he taught at the General Motor's Institute. Chet was then invited to join the faculty of the University of Buffalo, New York to where the family moved from Michigan. In 1954 Chet was invited to join the Engineering faculty at Penn State University as an associate professor of Industrial Engineering. This led the family to settle in State College. Between 1958 and 1959, the family lived for a year in Paris, France. On leave from Penn State, Chet served on the staff of the Organization for European Economic Development instructing companies how to automate their production facilities. Tragically, Chet's life was cut short when he perished on June 26, 1959, in the crash of TWA flight 891.

Jane returned home from Paris immediately after Chet's death and settled her family in State College. Her primary vocation at that time was to raise their children, the youngest of whom was born shortly after the family's return to the States. Jane began her employment at Penn State in 1977 as a part-time technical secretary in the department of Architecture Engineering. That position led to full time executive secretarial work. In 1981 she became an executive secretary and eventually Administrative Assistant at Penn State's Applied Research Lab. She retired at 70 in 1996.

Jane was an active member of State College Presbyterian Church for nearly 70 years where she served a term as an elder and sang in the Chancel choir. She was active as a member of the Penn State Faculty Women's Club and served a term as President of the Philanthropic Education Organization. She enjoyed quilting, flower arranging, traveling and was a skilled cook and baker. But most importantly, she was an amazing and loving mother who motivated her children to excel with all graduating from Penn State and then going on for graduate studies. A rare achievement is the fact that she was the mother of three sons who earned the Eagle award with the Boy Scouts of America. Jane spent her later years At Foxdale Village where she received wonderful care from their loving staff.

She is survived by three sons, R. Deane Linsky and his wife Connie of Shillington, PA, Glenn Linsky and his wife Betsy of Plano, TX, and Father Gary Linsky of Columbia, SC; her brother, William Moon and his wife Colleen of Winston Salem, NC; one son-in-law, Stephen Smith of New York City, NY, as well as eight grandchildren, Richard, Peter, Stephen, Gregory, Benjamin, Eric, Amy, and Mark Linsky; and 22 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Jan Linsky, in 2018.

A private interment will be in Centre County Memorial Park. 

A Memorial service will be held at 11:00 am, Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at the Foxdale Village Auditorium, 500 E. Marylyn Ave, State College.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the State College Presbyterian Church or Foxdale Village.

Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.