JANE WORK, Gestalt Therapist

Unexpectedly widowed at age 48, Jane Work entered college during the height of the Vietnam War and went from being a conservative Midwestern housewife to a liberal feminist. She earned a bachelor's degree at age 50 and a doctorate in psychology seven years later. At age 63, after working for various state agencies and school systems, she opened up a private practice. Thirty years after getting licensed, she still was seeing occasional clients and holding workshops at the retirement home where she resided.

Note:Jane died on September 12, 2008 at the age of 92. Here are some excerpts from her obituary:

"Dr. Jane Allen Work, 92, of New Castle, formerly of Pittsburgh, died the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 12, 2008, at her residence. Jane was born May 16, 1916, in Philadelphia to Lois McKinney and Robert Louis Allen. After the untimely death of her own mother, while Jane was still a toddler, she was raised by her grandparents, the late Emily and Robert McKinney. In 1939, Jane married the late Dr. Homer Allen, an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist in New Castle. They were married 24 years, until his death in 1963.

"As a 48-year-old widow, Jane was determined to continue her education, graduating in 1966 from Westminster College. She immediately entered graduate school at Case Western Reserve University, where at the age of 59 earned her Ph.D. in psychology. She opened her private practice as a licensed psychologist in Pittsburgh in 1979. That same year she married William "Bill" Work, the vice president of finance at Ketchum Inc. in Pittsburgh. In 1996, they moved to Friendship Village, where Bill served as president of the residents' association and Jane was secretary. . . . Bill Work died March 5, 2003.

"As an active member of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in Pittsburgh, Dr. Jane Work specialized in counseling women and motivating them to "do something meaningful" with their lives. "It is never too late to go back to school, start a new career, get married again, or all three!" was her mantra. . . ."

She will be missed! pb

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