Jane Elizabeth Fallon, 81, moved to Moscow in 1983 and taught sixth grade at Russell Elementary from 1991-2005. She retired to Hayden, Idaho, and Litchfield Park, Ariz., and passed away Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, at home in Litchfield Park, surrounded by family and friends. The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 2, at Christy-Smith Funeral Homes, Morningside Chapel, 1801 Morningside Ave., Sioux City, Iowa, with burial to follow in Memorial Park Cemetery.
A memorial service was held Saturday, Jan. 21, at The Church at Litchfield Park in Arizona. The service was livestreamed and may be viewed at bit.ly/janefallon.
Jane was born Nov. 9, 1941, in Lincoln, Neb., the daughter of A.C. “Dick” Dohrmann and Edna (Larson) Dohrmann. She graduated from Central High School in Sioux City in 1960, and attended Colorado Women’s College. After one year, she transferred to Colorado University in Boulder, where she was an Alpha Phi and received a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology in 1964.
On July 31, 1964, Jane was united in marriage with Clifford B. Fallon in Sioux City, and they remained devoted to each other for 58 years. After marrying, they lived in Yuba City, Calif., where Jane worked as a medical technologist in the Sutter County Hospital until the birth of their son, Brad, in 1968.
Six weeks later, the family moved to Minot, N.D., where her daughter, Stacey, was born in 1970. The spouse of a career U.S. Air Force officer, Jane provided the home support as the family moved to Papillion, Neb.; Prattville, Ala.; La Junta, Colo.; and Spokane.
Jane was a constant school volunteer while her children were in elementary school. She was skilled in macramé and ceramics, and kept a kiln in the garage for years. Jane taught ceramics to all the students in the local elementary school, and she started a business teaching macramé and ceramics to adults that was called Knots n’ Pots. After the family moved to La Junta, Jane was a Brownie leader, a Girl Scout Troop Leader, and she served as president of the PTA.
While in Spokane, Jane earned a teaching certificate from Eastern Washington University in 1982. When the family moved to Moscow in 1983, Jane began a long career teaching sixth grade. At the same time, she continued her education and earned a master’s degree (M.A.T.) in gifted education from Whitworth College in Spokane. Jane always stressed the importance of education at home and both of her children were high school valedictorian.
Jane was devoted to her students and inspired them through hands-on learning, serving as regional coordinator for National History Day, Idaho State Director for Odyssey of the Mind, and Russell School coordinator for Spelling and Geography Bees. She wrote the original grant to fund the Russell School sixth grade Science Camp that led to the school board funding the camp for all sixth graders in the district the next year.
In 1999, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards approved Jane as a Nationally Certified Teacher. She also served as president of the AFS Chapter for foreign exchange students in Moscow, and she was the chapter adviser for the Alpha Phi sorority at the University of Idaho.
Following retirement in 2005, Jane loved to travel, spend time in the outdoors and play golf — once she even scored a hole-in-one. In retirement, Jane continued to volunteer for a variety of community and church activities. She also loved to visit her grandchildren as much as possible and cheer for them at their various events.
Jane was preceded in death by her parents and is survived by her loving husband, Cliff; her son Brad, of Atlanta; and her daughter Stacey Harris and husband, Jack, of Dunwoody, Ga.; her brother, Dr. Richard Dohrmann and wife, Val, of Dakota Dunes, S.D.; and four grandchildren: Liam Harris, a junior at Colorado University in Boulder, and three granddaughters who are all juniors in high school, including Marie Harris, of Dunwoody, and twins Avery and Alex Fallon, of Atlanta.
Jane was a devoted wife and mother and an outstanding teacher for 22 years. She positively influenced the lives of countless students and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials in Jane’s name be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, First Presbyterian Church of Coeur d’Alene or The Church at Litchfield Park.
