On Friday, November 19, 2021 Clarissa Jane (nee Bausmith) Ackatz, adored mother and grandmother, peacefully left this earthly life at the age of 92. Her daughters, who loved her so, were at her side.
Jane, as she preferred to be called by most - though Nana to granddaughter Elaina - was born on August 26, 1929 in Cranford, NJ to Alfred and Elizabeth (nee Schillinger) Bausmith. She was one of five children and the eldest daughter. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Frank, Alfred Jr., and William. She is survived by her sister Edith Grant, daughters Lori Ackatz (Michael Young) and Lisa Reid (Michael Reid) and granddaughter Elaina Ackatz Young. She graduated from North Plainfield High School, and thenpursued her life-long dream…a career in nursing. After completing nursing school, she joined the US Army Nurse Corps serving at Letterman Army Hospital in San Francisco, California and 5thGeneral Hospital in Stuttgart, Germany. It was while in Germany that she met and married Robert Ackatz, the father of her daughters Lisa and Lori. Jane’s nursing career after her time in service took her along many professional paths, from working in a physician’s private practice, to hospital and nursing home environments, and as a traveling nurse where she worked in numerous intensive care units in hospitals across multiple states. Having taken multiple assignments at Lubbock General Hospital (now known as University Medical Center), she left traveling and took a staff position there again working in intensive care, andwasone of the first nurses to be part of the former renal transplant unit opened by the hospital.Jane ended her career at age 70 in the newborn nursery where she was a valued team member and mentor to many classes of pediatric interns and residents.
Along with a passionate devotion to her nursing career, Jane cared deeply for animals of all kinds, having enjoyed the company of many dogs and cats over the years. She also had a deep love for many creative pursuits. She enjoyed music of all kinds, having sung in church choir as a younger woman and supporting her daughters’ various musical pursuits. She dabbled in pottery and watercolor painting, and spent the majority of her later crafting years with knitting and crocheting. After her nursing career came to its end, she enjoyed selling and using Tupperware, participating in women’s circle and attending First United Methodist Church in Lubbock. She was a strong, fiercely independentwoman, living in Lubbock until her early 80s.She then transitioned to living with her daughters: Lisa in Oklahoma and Lori in Chicago, changing locations on an annual basis to share her love with each of them until mobility issues kept her in Oklahoma during her last years. She enjoyed attending Harrah United Methodist Church, and spending Thursday evenings with her knitting friends at the Midwest City Panera Bakery. Her final months were spent under the watchful eyes and compassionate care of the staff at Wolfe Living Center and Valir Hospice.
Jane’s final wishes were to be cremated, and to have her life celebrated with ashes spread at Washington Rock State Park in NJ, a place where she fondly remembers picnicking with her parents, brothers and sister. The date for this family celebration is yet to be determined.
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