Jane Hanron

Jane S. Bragdon Hanron of Hingham, formally of Boston, Scituate and Haverhill died May 15, 2021, 16 days shy of her 99th birthday.
Jane lived her entire life with joy, laughter and purpose, devoted to the many people and causes she cherished.
She was born in Haverhill Massachusetts to the late Ruth (Hewitt) Bragdon and the late Leonard R. Bragdon. Her youth was spent there enjoying many activities including playing trumpet and membership in the International Order of Rainbow for Girls which she would serve years later in an advisory capacity in Milton. She graduated from Haverhill High School in 1940. As a youngster, Jane delighted in summers at family vacation homes in New Hampshire and Maine, where she developed a lifelong affinity for living by the sea.
Upon her graduation, Jane attended Newton Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing which began her career dedicated to nursing. After obtaining her diploma, she joined the United States Navy Nurse Corps as an officer and served her Beloved Nation in World War II.
When the war ended and Jane returned to civilian life, she obtained additional degrees at Vanderbilt University and Northeastern University, delving into service as a Public Health nurse in Michigan and Director of the Massachusetts Memorial School of Nursing in Boston. During this time, she became a textbook author, writing about the “Essentials of Medicine” from a nursing perspective.
In 1954 she met the late John W. Hanron to whom she was married for 34 years. Together they shared countless memorable times; among them attending theatre, Sunday afternoon drives to the beach, cheering on and attending Boston Bruins hockey games, entertaining and vacation travel.
Her wide range of interests were fascinating. She was as comfortable in a boardroom, classroom or at a patient’s bedside as she was picking strawberries for homemade preserves, baking merengues for friends and neighbors. or on the sandy beach reading a book with waves lapping the shore.,
Jane was known for her taste in fashion and style, as well the frequent presence of her companion Boston Terriers.
She began another phase of her life with John when she started a family and she accepted a position on the Boston College School of Nursing faculty, where she remained for nearly three decades.
Aware that many nurses left the profession to raise families and were hesitant to return to the bedside, she created a Refresher Course for registered nurses preparing to reenter the workplace. This program eventually evolved into The Department of Continuing Education at the school which she directed and expanded over the years.
During the 1970’s Jane was appointed to the Governor’s Task Force to formalize requirements for nurses in order to maintain their licensure. The legislation passed and remains law to this day. She also was an active member of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, where she chaired many committees and served in the offices of Treasurer and Vice President of the Association.
Though thoroughly dedicated to her profession, nothing was more important to her than her family and home life. Traditional values, joy and unconditional love filled her home and was imparted to her children (and later her grandchildren) in countless ways. Supportive of all endeavors her children pursued, she added to the experiences of her young family planning trips and experiences that were both fun and memorable. Each day at the family’s summer home in Scituate was an adventure she oversaw, ranging from beachcombing, clamming and boating to errands at local farm stands and exploring nearby fields searching for birds and wildflowers.
Later in her life, she was a fixture at the North Street Hingham Visiting Nurses Unique Boutique. Transforming the shop to an upscale store featuring gently worn designer clothing and rare and whimsical giftware’ She was delighted when shoppers visited, in search of a collectible or sentimental treasure. Jane also coordinated fashion shows with Unique Boutique merchandise, a bevy of attractive volunteer models (of which she was one) and took the presentation on the road selling out venues and luncheons throughout the South Shore, with proceeds going to the VNA.
As time passed ,she was a reassuring source of optimism and encouragement, as well as a wealth of wisdom, not only to her adult children, but to many others who sought her advice and perspective.
.Jane was an active church attendee and her life, devotion to charitable causes and strong yet gentle guidance were driven by faith and influenced all she did.
Always a devoted American patriot, she instilled gratitude and love of the United States and its history in all whose lives she touched. She belonged to the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Doric Docents at the Massachusetts Statehouse and the Quincy Historical Society where she volunteered at Peacefield for many years.
Jane is survived by her daughter, Mary Jane Hanron of Weymouth, her son, David Hanron and his wife Sarah (McInnis) and grandsons John and James of Wakefield.
Memorial services are private.
Jane’s wish was gifts in her memory be made to Old South Union Church Memorial Fund. (25 Columbian Street, South Weymouth, MA 02190.)
Arrangements made by McHoul Family Funeral Home in Dorchester, MA.