News

Remembering Jane Deland: A Life of Service, a Lasting Legacy

A person with short brown hair with a blue dress smiles in front of a nature landscape.

It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of Jane Deland, who died on July 19, 2026 at her family home in Marion, Massachusetts.

Jane co-founded the FDR Memorial Foundation in 2019 and served as Vice Chair of its Board of Directors. She played an instrumental role in establishing the Foundation in 2019, helping to carry forward the legacy of her late husband, Mike Deland. Mike was a driving force behind the advocacy and fundraising campaign which led to the addition of the Franklin D. Roosevelt wheelchair statue and the Eleanor Roosevelt text panel at the FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C. Jane made the first financial contribution which helped launch the organization.

Jane was deeply committed to preserving the Memorial’s unique seven-and-a-half-acre landscape, ensuring that future generations could experience and enjoy it. Through her tireless advocacy, leadership, and generosity, she supported the Foundation’s mission at every level, from strategic planning and fundraising to making significant personal contributions in honor of her late husband.

Three people stand around a statue of a man with a hat in a wheelchair.

Left to right: Scott Slocum, Jane Deland’s brother; Jane Deland; and Steven Graham, son of Robert Graham, sculptor of the FDR wheelchair statue, 2022.

She also made a lasting contribution by gifting the Foundation a remarkable archive of her husband’s papers, including one-of-a-kind documents related to the 2001 addition to the Memorial. These materials are currently being prepared for access by researchers, scholars, and educators.

Jane helped establish and secure funding for the Mike Deland Fund, administered by the Foundation, which supports workforce development opportunities for people with disabilities in park service related roles, including positions with the Foundation and stipends for volunteering at the Memorial. In recognition of Jane’s extraordinary contributions, Helena Berger, Chair of the Board of Directors, has announced that the Fund will be renamed the Mike and Jane Deland Fund.

Three people sitting in formal winter apparel are conversing with one another.

Left to right: Gordon Gund, Jane Deland, and Holly Deland at the 2001 dedication of the FDR wheelchair statue.

Prior to her work with the Foundation, Jane served as Chief Development Officer and Special Assistant to the President at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. She also served as a Trustee of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and as Secretary of the Holy Land Christians Society.

Jane was a graduate of Smith College and an outstanding athlete - particularly in squash - and was inducted into the college’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012. She also earned a Master of Theological Studies degree from Wesley Theological Seminary.

Jane’s legacy is one of dedication, generosity, and quiet determination. Her impact on the FDR Memorial and the community it serves will endure for generations.

Jane’s Memorial Service will be held August 7th, at 10am at the Trinity Church in Boston, MA located at 206 Clarendon St, Boston, MA 02116.