WALPOLE, N.H. – Jane (Phipps) Skofield, 96, of Walpole, N.H., died peacefully at home with her family at her side Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021.
She was born in Bellows Falls, Vt., Aug. 6, 1925, the daughter of Mildred (Hubbard) Phipps and Raymond Phipps. Jane and her brother Billy were raised in Walpole by their grandparents, Ira S. and Gertrude S. Hubbard, after their mother’s death in 1928.
Upon graduating from high school, Jane earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of New Hampshire in 1947. She was very active in theater at UNH, where she also met her husband, Herman T. Scofield of New Boston, N.H. They were married in Walpole in June of 1948.
Herman entered the U.S. Foreign Service in 1950. The Scofields enjoyed postings in Berlin, Germany; Karachi, Pakistan; Vienna, Austria; and Bern, Switzerland, as well as in Washington, D.C. Upon Herman’s retirement in 1971, Jane and he spent a number of years in Austria before permanently settling in Walpole in 1977.
Jane was active in many organizations, both theatrical and charitable, and enjoyed volunteering for the Women of Walpole, Maplewood Nursing Home, St. John’s Episcopal Church of Walpole, and in acting and directing for the Walpole Players. She was active and athletic throughout her life, enjoying hiking, skiing, and distance running, which she took up in her 60s and pursued with great success, completing the 1989 New York City Marathon, and earning recognition as a competitive road runner by placing third in her age category in the 1987 L’Eggs Mini Marathon in New York City’s Central Park.
She was predeceased by her husband Herman, and by her three brothers William, Richard, and Robert Phipps.
Jane is survived by her son William and daughter-in-law Myonghee (Choi) Skofield of Walpole; her daughter Peggy (Skofield) Winters and son-in-law Wayne Winters of Exeter, N.H; her son James Skofield and his partner Gary Rhodes of Walpole; her daughter Elizabeth Skofield and son-in-law Ron Rivard of Snoqualmie, Wash.; by her sister-in-law Joan Phipps of Chebeague Island, Maine; by her six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; by numerous cousins; and by close and much-loved friends in the United States and abroad.
Jane’s family wishes to extend its special and enduring thanks to each of the wonderful caregivers who helped make her last year both easeful and joyous. These dedicated women could not have been more thoughtful or more compassionate.
Burial will be private. An outdoor memorial gathering in honor of Jane will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Walpole, Saturday, Oct. 2 at 1 p.m. DiLuzio Foley Fletcher Funeral Homes of Keene is assisting with arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks Jane to be remembered by contributing in her name to any of the following: The Fall Mountain Food Shelf, P.O. Box 191, 122 NH Rte 12A, Langdon, NH 03602, ATTN: Mary Lou Huffling; Our Place Drop-In Center, 4 Island St., P.O. Box 852, Bellows Falls, VT, 05101; and St. John’s Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 179, Walpole, NH 03608.