Jane Elinor Wheeler Nagel passed away peacefully on July 16, 2024, after an extended illness. She was 94. Jane was born on May 23, 1930, to Ernest and Florence (Besh) Wheeler, in Waterloo, Iowa. She came into the world with a heart defect and was not expected to live past infancy. Her parents had her baptized the following day. Yet, Jane was determined, even then—to persevere, learn, grow, love, create, and explore—as she did throughout her long and adventurous life.

Jane graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota in 1952 with a bachelor's degree in Zoology. She worked as a medical researcher for G.D. Searle in Evanston, Illinois before moving to Denver, Colorado, where she was briefly employed by National Jewish Hospital.  She continued her career with the University of Colorado Medical School. Among her many research projects, Jane supervised a summer-long study of the physiological effects of high altitude on pilots at a site on the former Mount Evans. She also resided temporarily in Leadville, where she studied the impact of altitude on pregnant women and newborns.

Jane met her future husband, Robert (Bob) Nagel, at a party hosted by a mutual friend. The next day, Bob invited her to a "get-together" at his apartment—which turned out to be a hasty clean-up session before the landlord arrived for inspection. When Jane asked where Bob was, his roommate said he was cleaning the bathroom. He then suggested that she could clean the fridge. Despite this less-than-promising start to their relationship, Bob and Jane were married in Waterloo on August 6, 1955, a union that lasted nearly 69 years.

Jane once said that raising their family was the happiest and most memorable time of her life. She was an active and supportive mother to her three children (Andy, born 1957; Martha, born 1959; and Kurt, born 1963) serving as their Cub Scout den mother, Blue Bird and Campfire Girls group leader, and Ski Jets bus hostess. She especially enjoyed the time they spent together and with friends at their vacation house in Dillon during the 1970s, skiing, hiking, boating, and exploring Summit County in an old Willy's jeep. A naturalist at heart, Jane taught her offspring to observe and appreciate the wonders of nature around them—mountains, lakes, aspen groves, wildflowers, animals, birds, blue skies, starry nights about which she often exclaimed, aren't we lucky, to live in such a beautiful world…

Though she was grateful for her own good fortune, Jane recognized and felt called to address the needs of less-privileged people, particularly through education. She volunteered as a classroom assistant for the early pre-school program Head Start and sponsored school-aged children through the Christian Children's Fund, Niños Adelante, and the Denver-based Inner-city School. When the Supreme Court ordered Denver to desegregate its public schools in 1973, Jane joined other parents, teachers, and community members in seeking ways to facilitate this process peacefully and in the best interest of all kids. She was a long-time member of P.E.O., an organization dedicated to the education and advancement of women, through which she supported programs and scholarships at Cottey College.

Jane took her responsibilities as a citizen seriously. She kept up on the news; read about and discussed issues affecting the nation and the world; respected the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others; and did her part to support the democratic process through her participation in grassroots politics. Jane was actively involved with her party throughout the 1980s, serving first as a precinct committee person, then as precinct captain, and finally as District Captain of Denver District 1.

Bob and Jane moved to Kirkland, Washington in 1988 when Bob joined a small cable company there. While living in the Pacific Northwest, they purchased and renovated a property on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, in an enclave aptly called Bliss Landing. Bliss was Jane's happy place. Her field notes and journals from that era record among its many pleasures: seals on the islet in front of the house; dinners of freshly caught seafood with neighbors and friends; a mama black bear and her cubs lumbering across the road; journeys on the Salish Sea in their Bayliner boat Sukai; and a pair of resident bald eagles tending their nest in a snag across the bay. Jane and Bob spent many weeks a year in BC over the following decades, as well as in another favorite, seaside location, Barra de Potosi, Mexico.

The couple returned to Denver as their primary residence in 1996 to be closer to family. After Bob retired, they continued to travel several times a year. Jane kept a giant world map above her desk marked with pins for every place they visited, including locations throughout Europe, Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Africa, China, Russia, and the Middle East—hundreds of pins in all.

When she was home in Denver, Jane's focus was largely on her grandchildren. They remember "Nana" as an adventurer, a storyteller, and a singer of made-up songs. She always greeted them with hugs and was eager to hear about their lives. Nana was the curator of a treasure trove of picture books, puzzles, games, art supplies, found objects, and costume pieces to inspire learning and stir their imaginations. She was also, with their assistance, the baker of the best from-scratch Christmas sugar cookies.

Jane was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Donna. She is survived by her husband, Bob; three children: Andy (Sandy), Martha (Steve), and Kurt (Becky); 10 grandchildren: Leah, Matthew, Emilie, Cassie, Annie, Jessica, Wheeler, Nathan, Dominic, and Jessica; one great-grandchild, A.J., and two more on the way.

Residents and caregivers at Clermont Park are invited to participate in a Remembrance Circle for Jane on Wednesday, July 31 at 1 pm in the Clermont Fellowship Hall.

Jane's friends and family will gather for a celebration of her life on Sunday, October 13, 2024  at 11:00 am in the Orangery at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Please email Martha at mjnlederer59@gmail.com if you plan to attend and for more information.

The family suggests donations to: The Nature Conservancy: preserve.nature.org or Inner-City School email: donations@innercityschool.org.