Jane Lenhard, a homemaker, and community volunteer, died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease April 7 at the Blakehurst Retirement Community. The former Guilford resident was 92.
Born Jane Long in Mount Holly, N.J., she was the daughter of Frank Long, who worked in Philadelphia publishing, and Fannie Long, a homemaker. She was a graduate of Mount Holly High School and studied at the St. Mary's Academy, now Doane Academy, in Burlington, N.J. During the World War II years she was a volunteer with the Red Cross in Mount Holly and Philadelphia.
Family members said that for most of her life she spent summers in Beach Haven, N.J. There she met her future husband, William R. "Bill" Lenhard, a Baltimore attorney, in 1946 when he was visiting a brother at the coastal town. They married in 1947 and she moved to Baltimore.
Mrs. Lenhard joined a multigenerational family and lived on Guilford Avenue in Charles Village with mother-in- law Mollie Lenhard, and the mother-in-law's sister, Sadie Deaver. They later moved to Guilford's Chancery Square.
"My mother was a great hostess and bridge player," said her daughter Kathryn L. "Kathy" Lenhard of Bethany Beach, Del. "She loved to cook and was always the gracious hostess at her dinner and cocktail parties. When I was young, anyone I wanted to invite over to the house was always welcome. Mom loved people and wanted them to feel comfortable and enjoy themselves at her home. It was part of her gracious and joyful nature."
An accomplished cook, she was known for her chicken stew and hot milk sponge cake with whipped cream and strawberries.
Mrs. Lenhard was a member of several bridge clubs and often hosted parties for her bridge players and their spouses, as well as for neighbors and family.
"She was a great piano player," her daughter Kathy said. Friends recalled that Mrs. Lenhard mastered numerous Broadway show tunes. She was an accomplished player of Kurt Weill, George Gershwin and Jerome Kern.
"She didn't need music; she would play by ear. People could hum a tune and she would know how to play it beautifully. It was a gift that many people loved and appreciated about her," her daughter said.
Friends said that Mrs. Lenhard had a zest for life and was a natural born entertainer. They said she conveyed her warmth when she hosted a party, which often featured her homemade whiskey sours that she served from a punch bowl.
"My mother was quite an adventurous traveler," her daughter said. "She spent a lot of time during the war years in New York City visiting a friend's family. When she was 24 years old, she traveled by car across the country with another girlfriend, and ended up in California. In those days, that was quite a trip for two young ladies."
She and her husband visited Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska, California and Hawaii. "For their 50th wedding anniversary, they took the Queen Elizabeth II across the Atlantic to London," her daughter said.
She was a long time member of the Cathedral of the Incarnation and served on its committees. She also prepared food for Paul's Place in Southwest Baltimore. She volunteered at Roland Park Country School and at the Keswick Multi-Care Center. She also visited friends at the Roland Park Place and Fairhaven retirement communities. She belonged to the Woman's Club of Roland Park.
"She was a delightful person and was always fun to be with," said Elizabeth Remley, a friend. "She had a great laugh and was lovely looking and lovely in her demeanor."
Mrs. Lenhard and her husband were avid beach goers and rented summer homes in Beach Haven for more than 50 years. They were members of the Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club and attended its functions. They also spent time during the winter in Fort Lauderdale with family and friends.
"They had many friends all over because my mother was so social," her daughter said. "She talked with everyone and was known to be on the phone a lot."
Mrs. Lenhard moved to Blakehurst more than five years ago and became an active participant in bridge, dinners, happy hours, programs and events.
A memorial service will be held at noon Friday at the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation, Charles and University Parkway.
In addition to her daughter, survivors include her son, William R. Lenhard Jr. of Reno, Nev.; three grandsons; and a great-grandson. Her husband of 62 years, William Lenhard, died in 2009.