Jane Arnold Henderson

Age 86, of Mt. Lebanon, following a lengthy battle with dementia, passed away on Friday, July 9, 2021.  Jane was the daughter of the late Charles Howard Arnold, Jr., and late Frances Eleanor Jones Arnold, devoted wife for 56 years of the late Melvin B. Henderson, loving mother to Daniel Paul and John William Henderson, and dear companion to her older brother, the late Charles Howard Arnold, III, and younger sister, the late Anne Hope Hyams.  The Arnold family resided in Mt. Lebanon, and Jane was a 1952 graduate of Mt. Lebanon High School, and in the Fall of '52, she matriculated to Allegheny College with the promise that a Music major could be obtained.  While this promise would not be fulfilled, upon the recommendation of an Allegheny professor, Jane attended a Christmas concert of the St. Olaf College choir and her life was changed.  Upon transferring, she earned a B.A. in Music in 1958 from St. Olaf.  After college, Jane taught English and Music at several high schools across southwestern PA, most notable Dormont High School, where she directed the Girls' Chorus and Triple Trio.  Jane's Christian faith was paramount to her, and in the '80s she accepted the position of Director of Music at Wallace Memorial Presbyterian Church in Greentree, where for 30 years she led a highly acclaimed Chancel Choir in support of weekly worship and undertook considerable works such as Gabriel Faure's Requiem.  She was also quite active in civic and political affairs, and for many years served as Vice President of the Mt. Lebanon Republican Women, as well as a Board member at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, a particular passion of hers.  She is survived by her sons, daughter-in-law Kathryn [Daniel] Henderson, her sister-in-law, Mary Eleanor Sourbeer, and numerous nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin, infant son David Stephen, parents and brother and sister.  Friends and family will be received at the Laughlin Cremation & Funeral Tributes, 222 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon, on Friday, July 16, from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.  A memorial service will be held at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 799 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon, on Saturday, July 17, at 10:30 a.m.  Memorial contributions may be made to The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the St. Olaf College annual fund, or Southminster Presbyterian Church.

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