The Garden Quarter community is mourning the death of one of its most cherished residents.

Jane Wolfe died at the Countess of Chester Hospital on Wednesday, June 10, aged 69, after a short period of illness.

She was very well known across the city for her distinguished singing voice, her contribution to the musical life of the city and her dedication to the community life of the Garden Quarter. Many tributes have been made via online social media to Jane and the impact she made on so many lives.

Jane was born in Bentley, Canada in 1946. She was originally called Bonnie Jean Spencer before she was adopted and was given the name Jane Elizabeth Rix Dunk. She grew up in Canada and studied at University in Toronto where she gained a degree and a Masters degree in mediaeval history.

Following a marriage and divorce in Canada she moved to the UK where she spent the rest of her life, including a second marriage. She lived most of her life in Chester where she enjoyed a varied career ranging from freelance writing, journalism, creative writing and marketing as well as running a book store. However, her greatest passion was singing and songwriting.

Jane enjoyed many successful decades as a Jazz, folk and country singer, either as a soloist or as part of several bands, including Carrigana which enjoyed many years on the local scene during the 80’s and 90’s. Her very varied and creative career resulted in her recording several albums and publishing several books.

Jane was a resident of Chester’s Garden Quarter. She was very active in the community activities which flourished over the past twenty years, both as co-founder and honorary secretary of the Garden Quarter residents and trader secretary but also as events organizer and performer.

Residents always enjoyed Jane’s regular solo performances on stage during the community’s street festivals or at the annual Christmas light switch-on. She last appeared singing her own Jazz version of Santa Claus is Coming To Town at the Garden Quarter Christmas Light event in December last year.

She was also guest soloist at a local wedding just a few weeks before.

Matt Baker, co-chair of the Garden Quarter Association, said: “She was an incredible woman who played such an active role in community life. Not only was she instrumental in helping to found the local association, along with a few other key characters, but she administrated and organised most of its activity. She had the most incredible and distinguished singing and speaking voice which we all enjoyed when she gave performances.”

Jane created the hugely successful Latin Quarter Festival which took place at the Bouverie in 2000 and 2001 and served as a pre-cursor to the Garden Quarter Festivals which have followed in subsequent years.

Matt added “She was a regular performer and customer at Alexanders, The Bouverie, Cake Faries, and later at Marmalade Café on Northgate Street. One thing is for sure, you always knew where you stood with her. I delighted in the way in which Jane would speak her mind; no-one would mess with her. And her voicemail messages were so hilarious in their brusqueness I have saved them all for entertainment.”

Jane made a cameo appearance in the Garden Quarter Remembers First World War Film which is due to be screened on August 4 at the Screen-on-the-Lane at Garden Lane Church. She was part of a pub scene just before the soldiers departed for the Western Front. The scene in which Jane appears was filmed at The Albion Inn in the city centre.

Film maker Neil Kendall said: “Jane looks so wonderful and happy singing along to the piano in a pub in the film. We took the projector into the hospital so Jane could see her scene, but sadly she was no longer conscious and was in her final hours.

“Jane leaves a wonderful legacy in our community; she will never be forgotten, and her spirit is captured, even for a few brief moments, in our film.”

Jane Wolfe requested that her funeral was to be led by Reverend Robert Clack, vicar of St Thomas’ Church in the Garden Quarter. The funeral will take place at 2pm at Chester Crematorium on Friday, June 26.