Jayn Stewart

Elizabeth Jayn Stewart June 24, 1941 - April 26, 2020 Elizabeth Jayn Williams, known as Jayn to those who knew and loved her, was born in Russellville, KY to Giles Buford Williams and Anna Evelyn Stewart. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she moved with her mother and stepfather (Anthony Lyne) to Paducah, KY where she was raised along with her half-brother Sandford "Sandy" Lyne. Jayn attended Tillman High School in Paducah. A good student, she left Kentucky (and shed her accent) to attend college at Duke University, later transferring to Washington University in St. Louis to study fine art and English. There she met David Zopf, whom she married in 1963. After graduation, Jayn taught English in the St Louis public schools and John Burroughs High School until she and David packed up and moved to New York and then Denver. They eventually settled in Chevy Chase, MD, a suburb of Washington DC, where they raised their 3 children - Elizabeth, Katherine (Kate), and Matthew (Matt). There Jayn volunteered as a docent at the Smithsonian Museum of American History, and taught courses to government agencies on a variety of topics including speed reading and technical writing, eventually acquiring the freelance education business for which she worked. Jayn enjoyed active leadership roles in the community, such as being President of the PTA at North Chevy Chase Elementary School, and serving on the board at her neighborhood swimming pool association. Always a hostess, Jayn didn't hesitate to hold large gatherings at her home, such as a pig roast for the entire swimming pool community or the annual neighborhood Christmas party where she played the piano and created memories still cherished by many. She and David divorced in 1983, and later changed her last name to Stewart in honor of her mother's family. Jayn made the most of her empty nest years, and she was always up for a new adventure. She spent some time living in a spiritual community in Vermont, and then moved to Santa Fe for 12 years, where she lived with her second husband Albert Moore. There she had many roles, including Executive Director of Gerard's House, a nonprofit supporting children who have suffered the loss of a loved one. After the dissolution of her second marriage, Jayn moved to Hagerstown, Maryland, to be near family where she continued freelance editing, taught in the Washington County Public Schools, and acted on stage with the Potomac Playmakers. To fulfill her dream of living in Europe, she moved to France and England for about a year, before finally settling near family again in Tacoma, Washington, where she passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. Jayn was deeply spiritual, but not religious. She loved the beauty of nature, a laugh with friends, a good glass of wine, knitting by the fire, reading, and spending time with her family. She made decisions by following her heart and encouraged others to do the same. She was determined to live life fully, and to do what was meaningful to her in her last years. She had friends all over the world, and those who loved her will miss her sense of fun and her way of celebrating life. She is survived by her three children, Elizabeth Williams (Paul) of Hagerstown, MD; Kate Landy (John) of Tacoma, WA; and Matt Zopf (Antoinette) of Damascus, MD; and her six grandchildren, Sophia and Charlotte Williams, Emmett and Annalise Landy, August and Aidan Zopf. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to Gerard's House, in honor of Jayn's memory.