Jane M Kinney

MADISON-Jane Margaret Kinney, longtime owner of the downtown Madison flower and gift shop, J. Kinney Florist, died unexpectedly on Friday, May 1, 2020, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison. She was 71. The cause of death was rapidly advancing cancer. Jane was born on April 15, 1949, in Lancaster, Wis. during a spring blizzard. Her earliest memories were of toddling after her father Patrick Kinney at stone quarries near Lancaster, where he mined limestone to build a Usonian home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. That early embrace of natural materials and organic lines influenced Jane’s direction in life. One of Jane’s favorite things throughout her lively life, was hanging out around a little town called Packwaukee in Marquette County, perhaps better known as Sand County, where Aldo Leopold, author of the world-famous Sand County Almanac had a humble cabin. Jane and her siblings visited Packwaukee every summer for two weeks, where they stayed in the home of her grandparents, Archie and Grace Kinney. Back then, it was a bustling little rural town, and full of interesting things for kids to do. After moving from the West Coast back to Wisconsin, Jane bought some land near Montello to be close to her beloved Sand County and especially Packwaukee. She used some of the local flowers for her flower shop, and planted flowers on her land, but mostly she enjoyed being there and often spending weekends. Jane’s lifelong love of nature enriched her world. She knew her neighborhood birds by sight and ear, and was on a first-name basis with Indigo Buntings, Orioles, and a Great Horned Owl. She learned the science behind the natural world she loved, and absorbed its spirituality with private celebrations of the Wheel of the Year. Music was food for Jane’s soul, from early piano lessons to her lifelong love of Bob Dylan. Jane read voraciously and her tastes ranged widely, from historical fiction to anthropology and archeology. She wrote with skill, as many devoted readers do. Her unexpected death stole from her the retirement opportunity to write the flower shop mystery series she had already plotted in her head. Animals kept Jane company through most of her life: first a parrot, then cats, and finally, after she became a homeowner, dogs Bear, a golden retriever, and Lucy, a standard poodle. Travel was a central theme of Jane’s life and her passports collected stamps from across much of Central America, Cornwall, Europe, and the Middle East. One year ago to the day, she was in Northern Ireland with her sister, Anne. Jane enrolled in the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1967 but left in 1968 to travel, first visiting Copenhagen to work. From there she backpacked and youth-hosteled her way south through Europe, spending time in Spain, Majorca, Morocco, Israel, and Cyprus—her favorite, because the hostel was run by a religious order and their liturgical music filled the air every morning. Returning in 1969, she moved to San Francisco on the heels of the Summer of Love and opened Plants, a shop in the Richmond District. She completed an Associate Degree in Ornamental Horticulture from the City College San Francisco. In 1982 she moved back to Wisconsin and in 1983 opened J. Kinney Florist on King Street. She is credited with being the first store to begin the economic turnaround of that area, helping to displace seedier businesses such as the Mustang Lounge and Cheri's Massage. “I had to chase hookers off my doorstep when I opened the shop in the morning”, she recalled. Jane later moved to a larger storefront next door to the Majestic Theater. As the downtown became more of a nightlife destination, she joined other retailers on Monroe Street in 2005. In 2015, she closed the store. She found satisfying work in the Metcalfe’s Market floral department, where she met loving friends Mike, Brenda, Sally and Christa. Self-employment allowed Jane the flexibility to pursue her hobby of camping in Wisconsin’s north woods. Always quick to head to Lancaster for downtime in the unusual childhood home, Jane spent many restorative hours in its embrace. Jane had a community of friends across the country that loved her. She blessed many lives with her beautiful and unique attitude towards life that was reflected in her floral designs. Jane is predeceased by her parents, Patrick Kinney in 2004 and Margaret (Murrish) Kinney in 2011. She is survived by Thomas P. Kinney (Judi) of Oregon, Wis. and their daughters, Lindsay and Kelly; Anne Kinney of Washington D.C., and David Kinney (Angela) of Madison and their son, Archie and daughter, Yasmine. Also surviving her are her dear cousins, Sharon (Brewer) Scanlan of Tucson, Ariz., Mary (Emery) Shearen of White Bear Lake, Minn. and Dick Emery of Plymouth, Minn., and dear friend, Sarah White. A family celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, Jane would want contributions to the Wisconsin Nature Conservancy. For many years she hiked regularly, exploring the pristine forest parcels listed in their 1997 publication, The Places We Save. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608) 221-5420