Mary Jane C. Kenison, 93 of Riverwoods Retirement Community, passed away Saturday, December 1, 2018 in Evangelical Community Hospital. Born July 2, 1925 in York she was a daughter of the Rev. Frank and Sadie (Huffman) Sanders.
Mary Jane was a 1943 graduate of Lewisburg High School and later earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. She was a member of St. Paul’s UMC of Lewisburg. Mary Jane’s life was enriched with musical education and experiences from training at Bucknell University during high school, to traveling with the Westminster Singers, and performing in more than 50 cities in 20 countries.
During her life she made use of her varied education background holding secretarial, vocal, and choir director positions, as well as being a public school teacher and guidance counselor. Over the course of her life she had the opportunity to perform solo work at the Metropolitan Memorial Methodist Church, The Navy Chapel, The Pentagon Choral Club, as well as singing with the National Symphony Orchestra in presentations of Handel’s Messiah. Music was Mary Jane’s joy in life as was her love for Central Oak Heights in West Milton.
It was at Central Oak Heights where she spent summers and served on various committees keeping the community on the hilltop thriving. She considered home to be at Central Oak Heights. The family cottage was a place that she dearly loved.
In addition to her parents Mary Jane was preceded in death by her husband of 41 years, Elmer “Kenny” Kenison, on December 19, 2003. She is survived by a sister, Martha Jean Brenneman, of Morganton, North Carolina; nieces Nancy L. (Sanders) Parsons of San Rafael, California, Victoria Sanders Neff of Mechanicsburg; nephews, Larry H. Sanders of Williamsport, the Rev. Dr. Frank H. Sanders, III, Frederick L. Sanders both of Reading, William R. Sanders of Allentown, Dr. Dwight Brenneman of Shelby, North Carolina, Norman L. Brenneman of Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, Curtis Brenneman of Morganton, North Carolina; 13 great nieces and nephews and five great-great nieces and nephews.
A memorial celebration will be held at Central Oak Heights during the summer of 2019. Service details will be announced closer to the time. Burial will be private in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Beavertown.
Memorial contributions may be made in Mary Jane’s name to Central Oak Heights Association, 75 Heritage Road West Milton, PA 17886. Mary Jane will be remembered for her gracious, kind and giving manner. She was a lifelong learner who rarely missed the evening news on TV and made the best whipped rice and brownies.
Her love for family and being together were the most precious times for her.
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