Mary Jane Blodgett

 Mary "Jane" Blodgett , age 95 of Destin, Florida, died peacefully on May 2, 2020 at the Destin Healthcare and Rehabilitation Facility after a short illness.  She had been a patient there for the last six weeks.  She was born Mary Jane Finch on September 13, 1924 in Detroit, Michigan to Wilmer and Mary Kathryn (nee Henderson) Finch.  The family moved a few years later to Indianapolis, Indiana.  There she attended both elementary and high school.  She graduated from St. Agnes High School in 1942.  Upon graduation from high school she enrolled at the University of Alabama majoring in Home Economics with an intensive in clothing and textiles.  She graduated with a BS in 1946.  She decided in the Tuscaloosa area.  She pursued her career in the clothing managing Miss Alabama Fashions for several years.  In the early fifties she moved from Tuscaloosa to Tallahassee to attend the Library school at Florida State University.  She earned her MS in 1953.  Upon earning her MS she moved to Montgomery, Alabama.  There she worked as a librarian at Air University Library at Maxwell Air Force Base.  It was there she met Major John H. Blodgett, a widower with two children.  They married on August 6, 1960.  The new family then moved to the Washington, DC where her husband was assigned to the Pentagon.  During this five year period she continued her career I military libraries working in the Army Library and the Civil Defense Library at Fort Belvoir, Va.  In 1965 the family moved to the Philadelphia area where her husband began his second career after retiring from the Air Force.  Mrs. Blodgett, became involved with the welcome wagon club.  She especially enjoyed bowling both with the Welcome Wagon and Archbishop Wood High School Mothers Club.  Between the years 1970-1994, the Blodgett’s moved a few more times with stops in Harvard, Massachusetts and Reston, Virginia.  In 1974 she and her husband moved to Sparta, New Jersey.  Once again she was involved with the Welcome Wagon.  Janes decided to return to her military library work in 1978 at Picatiny Arsenal near Sparta.  After years of spending vacations in Destin, she and her husband decided to retire there in 1985.  They bought a home in Indian Bayou Estates.  After her husband’s death in 1990 Jane continued to be active.  She enjoyed bowling with the White Sands Bowling League.  She was also a parishioner at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Destin.  She was also a huge fan of college football especially the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and her alma mater the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama.  Jane was predeceased by her parents Wilmer and Kate, her brothers Russell and Bob.  She is also predeceased by her husband Jack and her stepson Jack Blodgett Jr.

She is survived by a daughter Ellen Blodgett of Wilmington, Delaware and a  Daughter-in-law Miriam Blodgett of onset, Massachusetts.  The family would like to thank the nurses and staff of Destin Healthcare and Rehabilitation Facility for their expert care during her stay there.  Due to the COVID-19 PANDEMIC a Memorial Mass will be held for Jane Blodgett, age 95 of Destin, Florida will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 307 Beach Drive Destin, Florida.  Private burial will take place in Barrancas National Cemetery where she will be buried alongside her husband. 

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