Jane Carol Mainous James went to be with her Lord and savior Jesus Christ this past Friday the 3rd of November at the age of 91. Jane was born on February 22, 1932, in Lexington, Kentucky at Good Samaritan Hospital; she was the second child of Arch Glass Mainous, Sr. (1899-1990) and Juanita Nell (Cornett) Mainous (1904-1990). Her Maternal grandparents were Clara Belle (Eversole) Cornett (1883-1967) and William Manon Cornett (1882-1956). Her Paternal grandparents - all from eastern Kentucky - were Elizabeth 'Polly' Ann (Morgan) Mainous (1867-1942) and John Tyler Mainous, Sr. (1849-1943),.

Jane was a bright and energetic woman who was raised at the Mainous family home in Lexington, Kentucky. She attended Little and Big Picadome schools in Lexington, Ky during the 1930's and 1940's and graduated from Lafayette High in 1950 where she was a cheerleader. She graduated from the University of Kentucky on June 4, 1954, with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce along with her future husband, Bill (although they graduated on the same day, they never met in college).

Bill & Jane first met in Louisville, Kentucky after Jane took a job with General Electric. They met at a dance and spent the entire evening talking. Not long after, they married on December 30, 1955, at First Methodist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. Initially they settled in Louisville, Kentucky and then moved to Lexington, Kentucky in 1958. Bill and Jane had two boys: Bill Jr. born in 1956 and Daniel M. born in 1959. Over the years, Bill and Jane would travel, making homes in Charlotte, NC, Louisville, KY, Madison and Morristownship, NJ, Plantation and Ft. Myers, FL. Home for Jane was always 200 Shady Lane in Lexington.

Jane's parents and grandparents instilled in her a desire for social justice through family stories she heard as a girl. Her great-great grandfather, Major John Eversole, USA (1828-1864) led abolitionists in eastern Kentucky before leading part of the 14th Kentucky Calvary for the union during the Civil War. Her great-grandfather, Joseph C. Eversole (1852-1888), and great-great grandfather, Judge Josiah H. Combs (1832-1894) defended the coal rights of illiterate farmers during the bloody French-Eversole Feud in Eastern Kentucky and were assassinated during the conflict.

Inspired by her family's history, Jane constantly looked for ways to help others and stand up for what she believed was right. During her time in Lexington, Jane fought for the integration of the Good Samaritan Methodist Hospital maternity ward with her friend, Natalie Wilson. After Bill & Jane moved to New Jersey in the late 1960s, she set up a "coffee house" to minister to the homeless and at-risk youth, offering them counseling and help during those turbulent times. In 1971, Bill and Jane moved to Plantation, Florida where Jane became a schoolteacher at Hollywood Christian School (First Baptist of West Hollywood). During that time, Jane was one of a group of women who helped found "Christians for Life", a pro-life counseling service for unwed mothers. She was excited to have lived to see the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. In the 1980s Jane retired from Hollywood Christian and she and her husband moved to North Carolina. Still looking for opportunities to give back to her community, Jane became a teacher's aide at Smith Middle School teaching at-risk students for several years.

Jane is preceded in death by her son, Daniel Mainous James (1959-2017) and her older brother, Joseph Edward Mainous, Sr. (1927-2023). She is survived by her husband of 67 years, William Frank James, Sr. and their son, retired Mecklenburg County Commissioner Bill James (Julia Wyatt James) and 5 grandchildren: LTCR William F. James, III, MD, USN (MAJ Katherine Lisi James, USMC) of McClean, Virginia; Morgan Blair (James) Hlinka (Matthew Hlinka) of Arlington, Virginia; Sarah Mainous James of Neuchatel, Switzerland, Rebekah Cornett James of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Danielle Morgan James of Plantation, Florida. She is also survived by three great-grandchildren: Laura Margaret, Liam (William IV) and Elizabeth Rose.

In addition, she is survived by her younger brother; Arch Glass Mainous, Jr (Rosalie Redding Mainous) of Lexington, Kentucky, and numerous nieces and nephews: Ann Eston (Mainous) Whiteside, Dr. Rosalie O. Mainous, Dr. Arch G. Mainous, III, Joseph E. Mainous Jr, and Tyler Redding Mainous.

At Jane's request, there will be no service and the funeral will be private. Jane will be interred next to her parents and grandparents at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Lexington, Kentucky.