Jane E. Hurley

Jane Ellen Hurley (née Hezel), age 96, of Chicago, Illinois, passed away peacefully on August 6, 2025, with family all around her.

Born on August 11, 1928, in Chicago, IL, to Gustave and Ellen, Jane lived a life filled with love, kindness, strength, and a stubborn insistence on living life on her terms. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and churchgoer who, at least in her golden years, never encountered a conversation in which she could not engage. Perhaps most importantly, Jane believed in certain immutable truths: (1) God; (2) DePaul University’s preeminence; (3) the Michigan blueberry; and (4) the exceptionalism of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Jane graduated from DePaul University in 1950 with a Ph.B. in History and earned an M.A. in Education two years later from the same institution. Jane met William J. Hurley, Jr., in one of those DePaul classrooms and ultimately, to his great luck, married him on July 10, 1954, in Chicago, and together they built their lives. Jane was a dedicated Teacher and Librarian with Chicago Public Schools. Jane co-authored (alongside William) the Dan Frontier series of children’s books and authored her own book titled Afro-Americans Then and Now.

Jane was a faithful member of St. Alexander’s parish in Palos Heights for years and held tightly to her faith to the very end. She was passionate about Chicago sports, her beloved tree farm, and the dessert course of any meal. Her generosity, love, and invocations to “stay out of trouble” will be remembered by all who knew her.

She is survived by six children Ellen (David) Meyer, Jane Ann (Abdullah) Abonamah, William (Dawn) Hurley, Michael (Deborah) Hurley, Patrick (Christine) Hurley, and Matthew (Elliott) O’Hurley; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband William, son Gustave, sister Doris, and parents Gustave and Ellen.