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(Julie) Jane Warman, 78, died on April 29, 2021, at Aegis Memory Care in Laguna Niguel, CA from complications related to Alzheimer's.

Jane was born on 9 Mar 1943 to Merton & Betty Jane (Crichton) Jensen and raised on their farm north of Blair, NE. She attended the 2-room country school at Cuming City, graduated Valedictorian from Blair High School (BHS) in 1961, Cum Laude from Dana College in Blair in 1965, and received a Master’s in Library Science from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

She taught English and Spanish at BHS from 1965-1968, then moved to California and worked at the Fresno, CA College Library until she was recruited by the Department of the Army in 1969 to be a computer programmer. She moved to Long Branch, NJ to train at Ft. Monmouth, NJ, after which she was assigned (as a civilian) to Harry Diamond Laboratories (HDL) in Washington, DC. There she met Joseph Robert Warman and they were married on 28 Aug 1971 at Henson Valley Christian Church in Oxon Hill (now Ft. Washington), MD. Jane served on many committees during more than 30 years with the church, but the thing she loved most was the choir, serving as a soloist for holidays and other celebrations. But she always remained, and considered herself, a farm girl.

In 1975, she and her younger sister, Deb, also employed at HDL, began the HDL Chorus which grew into a theatrical performing arts group and Jane was associated behind the scenes and often on stage for the years she was at HDL. A systems analyst, she moved from HDL to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Rockville, MD, a longer commute but with more challenges. There, she received a bronze medal in 1992 and retired in 1996 after 27 years of government service.

She never stopped learning, participating in the University of Maryland’s Senior University and volunteering as a Friend of the National Zoo (FONZ) to be an interpreter and close friend of the large Apes and Orangutans who greeted her arrival with palms on the glass enclosure or waves, grins and dances. She particularly enjoyed explaining her friends to the children who visited the Zoo. She always loved animals – any kind and any sort.

With both she and Joe retired, they found time to travel the world, from Moscow and St. Petersburg, to Antarctica, Peru, and Argentina, especially enjoying the capitols of Europe, including Paris, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, and the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. They visited Alaska and Hawaii and drove across much of the United States, but always returned home to Beltsville, MD, outside of Washington and their condominium in Bethany Beach, DE. Drawn back by their many friends, Henson Valley Christian Church, the Cherry Blossoms in bloom.

Jane is survived by her husband, Joseph Warman; her older sister, Judith (Jensen) Clark; her younger sister, Deb (Jensen) Morrow, husband Dale; her brother-in-law, John Warman, wife, Bonnie; and her beloved and loving nieces and nephews who were like children to her, Kevin (Jane) Clark, Chris (Brenda) Greenfield, Carri (Greenfield) Bender and husband, Rick; Stephanie (Clark) Gregerson and husband, Dave; Jeremiah (Jessica) Morrow, Katy Morrow; Jeremy (Kelley) Warman; Dara Warman; Cole Bender and Christian Bender. She was preceded in death by her parents, Merton and Betty (Crichton) Jensen, brother-in-law, Roland Clark; nephew, Kermit Clark.

While we will carry you with us forever, and miss you more than words can say, we speak for your hundreds of friends when we say that your glorious singing voice, joyous laughter, generous heart, and terrific way with a joke will leave a hole in many more than just OUR lives – and we don’t quite know what HDL is doing without “The Duck Call.” Rest in Peace, Sweet Girl.

Any donations made be made to: Friends of the National Zoo https://fonz.org/support Alzheimer’s Association https://act.alz.org/site/Donation

Celebration of Life Zoom date TBD. Check back on this Facebook page for details or contact her niece, Carri Bender at carrisue@icloud.com. The family encourages you to post your stories, memories, photos, etc. of Jane.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~