Jane Bourne, née Jane Crossley, was born on July 28, 1938, in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, England, to Muriel Maria Crossley and Harold Crossley. She was the younger sister of Ann, born four years earlier. Jane was named after her paternal grandmother, Sarah Jane, who was known as "Janey."

Jane entered a world still marked by the losses of the First World War. She was born with only one living grandparent, as both of her grandfathers had died during the war. Her maternal grandfather was killed at the Battle of the Marne. Her father, Harold Crossley, from Halifax, Yorkshire, served as an airman in the First World War and was a German Prisoner of War. After the war, he worked as the London manager of the Irish Press on Fleet Street. Her mother, a London native, worked as a secretary for Colonial Technical Press. Jane kept fond memories of adventures with her maternal aunts Dos and Win, including trips into London and abroad to Ireland.

Jane attended Hoddesdon Primary School beginning at age four and later boarding school in St. Albans Girls' School at age eleven where she earned top marks, was the lacrosse team captain and Head Girl. An excellent student with a passion for science, she went on to study Physics at the University of London. When her father died suddenly of a stroke, her mother asked her to return home rather than continue her studies. Determined to complete her education, Jane remained at university and financed her studies through county scholarships—a decision that reflected the independence, resilience, and quiet strength that would characterize her throughout her life.

Jane worked for a company in Waltham Cross that manufactured silicon chips before accepting a position at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in the early 1960s. It was there that she met Stephen Bourne, a PhD student in Applied Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. After a courtship which included a date to the May Ball featuring Eric Clapton and the Yardbirds, the two married in 1965 at Great St Mary’s in Cambridge and began a life together built on family, learning, and adventure.

Their first child, Peter Richard, was born in 1967, followed by Mark Philip in 1970. Their daughter, Sarah Jane, was born in 1973.

In 1975 Stephen took a job at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey, and the family left England for the United States. In Summit, New Jersey, Jane became deeply involved in her community. She served as PTO President, volunteered in the school library, and dedicated countless hours to the Summit and Mid New Jersey Youth Soccer programs, supporting her children's activities and helping build a strong community around them. She was often seen timing swim meets or organizing parent volunteers. She also worked as a tax accountant, where her meticulous nature, and steady reliability were greatly valued.

In 1983, Stephen's career brought the family to Silicon Valley. They first settled in Cupertino before eventually making their home in Portola Valley. There, Jane found a place she truly loved, surrounded by the natural beauty of the California hills and open spaces.

Jane became an active steward of the environment and a passionate volunteer. Through her work with Streamkeepers and The Town of Portola Valley Conservation Committee, she lovingly cared for a stretch of San Francisquito Creek, spending countless hours planting native species. She often organized friends and family to help remove invasive plants or monitor and record the wildlife in the stream. She was an active volunteer with Allied Arts in Menlo Park and remained deeply involved in her children's schools and activities.

Jane and Steve spent many happy years at Anini Beach on the north shore of Kauai, where she delighted in learning about Hawaii's native plants and birds. Her love of nature was evident in everything she did, from tending the creek to exploring the outdoors. She was often seen hiking Windy Hill and the Betsy Crowder Trail and spending quiet hours observing wildlife around Sausal Pond.

In 2013, Jane joined the community at the Sequoias Portola Valley where she enjoyed making lifelong friends, taking regular group hikes, serving on various boards and committees, and learning new activities like mah jongg. 

Jane's greatest joy was her family. She delighted in caring for her grandchildren during their younger years, taking them on neighborhood walks, reading with them, and planning special outings. She often took the grandkids to the Hiller Aviation Museum or up Mt Hamilton to the Lick Observatory to view the sky through the Crossley Refractor (donated by one of her ancestors). She took great pride in watching each of them grow into their own unique person and treasured every moment she spent with them. Jane never missed a birthday or special event, and was always enquiring about the latest news of her extended family. 

Jane is survived by her three children, Peter Bourne, Mark Bourne, and Sarah Bourne, and by her seven beloved grandchildren: Charlotte and Jason Bourne; Rowan and Tate Bourne; and Stephen, Gavin, and Ally Lamb.

Jane found joy in learning, exploring, and connecting with the natural world. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, wife, scientist, volunteer, and lifelong learner whose curiosity, determination, kindness, and love of nature touched all who knew her. Her legacy lives on in the family she cherished, the communities she served, and the landscapes she helped preserve.  Her sense of humor, sharp mind and wit were with her until the very end and she will be deeply missed by her community of friends at the Sequoias and by her family.