Jane Avery Mercier

Jane Avery Dickinson Mercier, 80, of Chattanooga, TN, formerly of Groton, MA, and Carmel, NY, passed away on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.

Born February 5, 1944, in Mahopac, NY, Jane was the middle child of the late George Ernest Dickinson Jr. and Eleanor Elizabeth Wilkoc Dickinson.

She graduated with a B.A. in History from Rivier College and spent decades teaching children in MA, NH, and NY. She adored teaching middle school-aged children and retired from Nashua Catholic Regional Junior High School in 2000.

Jane was known for getting into mischief and was once caught skipping school when her teacher and classmates saw her on television watching a ticker tape parade from the distinct lion statues in front of the New York Public Library.  In recent years, she claimed to not have known how she drove her electric scooter through a glass pane at EPCOT (she was not hurt but she was the talk of WDW cast members!). In college, Jane participated in the Civil Rights movement by teaching schoolchildren in Alabama and often spoke about her family’s daring rescue in the dead of night when the situation became dangerous.

Jane doted on her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  Although in later years, her disease slowed her down, it was always obvious the love she had for her family.  Jane loved people and never met a stranger. 

In the last four years since becoming ill, Jane was fortunate to be cared for by many compassionate, devoted staff from Dominion Senior Living of Hixson, The Lantern at Morning Pointe of Hixson, Solomon’s House, and Hearth Hospice.

She is survived by her daughter, Stephanie (Michael) Howard of Hixson, TN; daughter, Christine Mercier (formerly Bromberg) of West Hartford, CT; son, Raymond (Kerri) Mercier of Montvale, NJ; grandsons: Connor (Becca) Howard, Samuel Bromberg, Sawyer Mercier, Quinn Mercier, and Tristan Howard; granddaughters: Morgan (Eric) Whitmire, Kayleigh (Max) Neveau, and Madison Bromberg; and great-grandsons, Miles Whitmire and Wyatt Whitmire. She is also survived by her siblings: George Dickinson III, Ann Marie Cseak, Richard (Lynn) Dickinson, and Grace (Gary) Emery, along with several nieces, nephews, and in-laws.

In addition to her parents, Jane was preceded in death by Raymond Mercier, her beloved husband of 47 years, and her sister, Geraldine Ring.

As Jane was an avid gardener, flowers are always appreciated; however, to remember Jane’s love of history and the location of her honeymoon, donations may be made in her name to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation at www.colonialwilliamsburg.org. 

The family will receive friends from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, May 2 at Lane Funeral Home, 601 Ashland Terrace, Chattanooga, TN.

A funeral mass will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 3 at St. Jude Catholic Church in Chattanooga, TN. Burial will follow from 1:30-2 p.m. at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.

To share expressions of sympathy, visit https://www.lanefh.com/tributes.