Jane Claire Berryman

July 5, 1937 - December 19, 2018

Jane Claire Berryman, aged 81, died in the peace of Christ on December 19, 2018, in Guthrie, Oklahoma. She was born July 5, 1937, to Henry and Helen Sloan Berryman in Helena, Arkansas. The family moved to Texas before settling in North Carolina. Jane graduated from J. H. Rose High School in Greenville, North Carolina in 1956, and attended East Carolina University from 1956 to 1958. She struck out on her own, living in Los Angeles working for Columbia Records, before moving to Oklahoma City. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1976 with a degree in journalism and worked for The Daily Oklahoman. She returned to school and earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Oklahoma in 1988. In 1991, Jane became a charter staff member of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services’ AIDS Coordination and Information Services. She gave years of care and passionate service to HIV/AIDS patients and won awards for her work until her retirement in 1997. Jane retired to Guthrie where she became an active member and volunteer secretary at Trinity Episcopal Church. An accomplished artist, she filled her home with hand-painted furniture and eclectic artwork. Jane loved cats and enjoyed being the neighborhood "cat lady". Many cats shared her home over more than twenty years. She fed and cared for the stray cats of the neighborhood. The local raccoons, skunks and possums also could be sure of a meal on Jane’s front porch. Jane relished being an opinionated, independent and self-reliant person. Although it was difficult to leave her beloved home and cats, she was grateful for the love and care she received from Companion Hospice and Willow Creek nursing home. Jane is survived by her sisters, Nancy Moore of Fuquay Varina, North Carolina, Barbara Noggle of Powder Springs, Georgia, Dorothy Carole Banks of Eden, North Carolina and her brother, Richard Berryman of Straits, North Carolina. Also surviving are her dear friends who were an extended family to her, John Buettner of Raleigh, North Carolina, Dee Hux Arp of Zephyrhills, Florida, and the Reverends John and Lynn Borrego of Guthrie. The Rev. Lynn Borrego and the Rev. John Borrego will officiate at a memorial service at 10 AM on Wednesday, January 9, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 310 East Noble Avenue in Guthrie. In Jane’s memory, please donate to: Friends of Guthrie Animals PO Box 1557 Guthrie, OK 73044-1557 OR AIDS Healthcare Foundation 6255 Sunset Boulevard 21st Floor Los Angeles, CA 90028