Beloved matriarch and friend

Jane Ellen Grunnet, a Claremont resident for 65 years, died December 4, 2024 after suffering a stroke.

Jane was born July 23, 1940 in Charlotte, Michigan to Ronald and Margaret Hess, and came to California with her family at the age of 5, settling in Pasadena. She met her future husband at Pasadena High School, married after graduation and moved to Claremont, where she lived until her death.

She cherished her Cinderella home, where she raised three children, ran her own business, and lived a colorful life filled with joy and sometimes sorrow. She loved Claremont and was active in her community, always seeking to be of service and to “give back.” She was proud of her work with the PTA, Meals on Wheels, Inland Valley Hope Partners, and Claremont Heritage to name a few. She was highly involved in the 12 step community, with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and was a founding member of “the lemonade gang.”

“Jane traveled the world and was fortunate to enjoy deep friendships with those she met along the way, young and old, from every walk of life,” her family shared. “She never hesitated to engage in a conversation and loved to pay compliments to complete strangers. Jane enjoyed the arts, whether creating her own yarn art or going to galleries to appreciate others’ creations. She loved music and loved to dance, with or without a partner, and always as if no one was watching.”

She was an avid reader of every newspaper, magazine, or non-fiction book she could get her hands on. She loved all things political, current events, and biographies. “And Jane loved to write!” her family added. “As part of her creative writing group she was tasked with writing her own obituary, in which she stated, ‘she has experienced incarnations as a domestic goddess, earth mother, honky-tonk woman, soul survivor and spiritual seeker.’ Those who knew her would agree and add that she possessed a great wisdom and gratitude for life, looking for the bright colors of her surroundings and making time to be silly.

“As a breast cancer survivor, long time diabetic, and newly diagnosed Alzheimer’s patient, Jane lived every day with joy, always trusting in her higher power to guide her, whether it be to help her find her remote control, or find grace in her failing memory.”

She was predeceased by her ex-husband Bob Grunnet; daughter Chris Fleck; and son Michael Grunnet.

She is survived by her sister and brother-in-law Catharine and Douglas Misch; daughter Beth Grunnet; sister-in-law Linda Grunnet; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

She has been laid to rest beside her son at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, California.

To honor her memory, her family asks people to please consider planting a tree, supporting your local library, donating to the Claremont Courier at claremont-courier.com/donations, or donating time and/or resources to Inland Valley Hope Partners at inlandvalleyhopepartners.org.

Her family wrote this epilogue: “Jane did not like ending with goodbye; instead, she would say ‘PEACE-OUT!’”