Jane Adams Hosking

August 28, 1947 - September 29, 2022

Jane Adams Hosking, 75, our wonderful mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, died surrounded by her family on the evening of September 29, 2022 from Covid-related pneumonia.

Jane was born August 28, 1947 in Anniston, Alabama to Jesse and Rosalyn Jane Adams and was raised on military bases throughout the South, but she considered Rome, Georgia and Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee as her hometowns. She spent a significant part of her childhood with her own grandmother “Mimi” and they were especially close. Jane later moved to Moses Lake, Washington, where she attended college and met Robert “Bob” Hosking, who would become her husband. They were married on April 14, 1968 and remained happily committed to each other for over 50 years until his death on August 7, 2018.

As a passionate advocate of young children, Jane worked as a teacher in schools and orphanages as a young woman in all the places she and Bob lived while he worked for Northwest Airlines. They also served as foster parents to children in need and were privileged to be able to add to their family through adoption. After settling in Salt Lake City in 1977, Jane was determined to carry on with her desire for high-quality early childhood education. In 1979, she opened her first pre-school in the basement of their West Valley home. Jane was a trailblazer and often recalled the story of being told to come back with her husband when she went to the city to obtain a business license. She let the clerk know exactly what she thought of that suggestion and left the building in triumph, business license in hand. From these roots grew The Learning Tree Schools, childcare facilities across the Salt Lake area that are still open and run by the Hosking family and guided by her uncompromising vision; a vision she continued to share long into retirement as a sought-after consultant, speaker, and mentor.

When she and Bob retired, they split their time between their dream home in Kapa’a, Hawaii and their home base in Salt Lake City. They spent as much time as possible with their children and grandchildren and traveled often for graduations (from kindergarten to college), performances, accolades, or random visits. It was her grandchildren that brought her the most joy, particularly in retirement.

Jane is survived by her eight children: Jon (Heather), Laura, David (Meredith Kastel), Rebekah, Joanna MacLean (Devon), Bethany, Matthew (Shantel), and Brianne; 20 grandchildren: David, Liam, Nicholas, Jessica, Sara, Abigail, Colin, Destiny, Alexis, Isaac, Lacey, Alissa, James, Michael, Grace, Roman, Max, Molly Jane, Katy, and BrynnLei, sister Marilee (David) Messner, her dear friend of over 50 years Joanne Larsen, as well as numerous great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband Bob and grandson Alexander Porter.

The family wishes to thank the medical professionals who cared for Mom during the last years of her life. We are especially grateful to her primary care provider Gwen Mitchell and the staff at House Call Doctors. Gratitude is also extended to the people who took Covid seriously and lived by the creed that caring for your community and loving thy neighbor are rooted in the tradition of all faiths. For all those who think that Covid is over, we can only say that we don’t wish this pain and heartache upon anyone.

Mom still had a few good years ahead of her, a few more performances to watch and graduations to attend, but she was robbed of that time in 12 short days.

A visitation will be on Monday October 10, 2022 from 6 to 8pm at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 S 900 E Salt Lake City

A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday October 10, 2022 at 10am, at Blessed Sacrament, 9757 S 1700 E, Sandy.

Committal will follow at the Utah Veterans Memorial Park in Bluffdale Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at 10am, where she will be laid to rest with her beloved husband Bob.