Former Poulsbo resident, Jane Colombini, passed away peacefully on Feb. 13 in Marysville. She was 85.
Jane was born in Butte, Mont., the second child of Jane and Gordon Reid. When she was 9, the family relocated to San Jose, Calif., where she attended St. Patrick School and Notre Dame High School. She graduated from O’Connor Hospital School of Nursing in 1958 and worked as a nurse in a family practice clinic.
A clinic patient, Rose Albanese, introduced Jane to her cousin, Dick Colombini, who was visiting from Washington. Jane and Dick went on one date and were engaged four days later. They were married in San Jose in November 1960.
The newlyweds settled in Poulsbo, where Dick was a teacher and coach at North Kitsap High School. The couple had two daughters, Mary and Annette, and built a home on the shores of Hood Canal, where they lived for 40 years.
Jane worked as an RN at family practice clinics in Poulsbo, but spent the majority of her career at Martha and Mary Nursing Home. She retired in 1990 after serving more than 20 years as a unit nurse and certified nursing assistant educator at Martha and Mary.
Jane and Dick were active members of St. Olaf’s Catholic Church, and Jane volunteered at Fishline. They had a large group of friends and enjoyed cooking monthly themed gourmet meals. Jane was a voracious reader, was known for her elaborate Halloween and Christmas decorations, and loved growing flowers and herbs in containers on the couple’s deck overlooking Hood Canal.
In retirement, the Colombinis enjoyed traveling by RV. They spent 20 winters as snowbirds in the deserts of California and Arizona, drove the Al-Can Highway to Alaska, took a months-long trip around the USA, and even drove their RV to the tip of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico.
In 2005, Jane and Dick moved to Pierce County to be near their granddaughters, Erin and Laurel. Jane loved spending time with the girls – especially attending school events, baking and decorating cookies, going to the library, and playing in their neighborhood pool.
The couple remained in Pierce County until 2020, when they moved to an assisted living facility in Marysville.
Jane was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her sister, Martha. She is survived by her daughters, granddaughters, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
At Jane’s request, there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, Jane’s family suggests donations to Martha and Mary Nursing Home, Continuum Hospice Foundation, or a charity of the donor’s choice.
Jane’s family thanks the staff at Mill Ridge Village in Milton, where Jane and Dick lived for more than five years. Special gratitude to the caregivers from Fieldstone Memory Care in Marysville and Continuum Care of Washington (hospice), for their dedication and compassion in the two years following Dick’s passing.
