Jane E. Eckert

Jane Elizabeth Eckert, 89, of Sedalia, Missouri, passed away peacefully on August 5, 2026, at Primrose Retirement Community, surrounded by her family.

Jane was born on July 21, 1937, in Rochester, New York, to John Thomann and Alma (Streb) Thomann. She graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School in 1955 and went on to build a long career as a secretary.

Jane married her high school sweetheart, Rudy Cirafisi, on June 15, 1957. Sadly, she was widowed not long after their marriage. In 1960, she married Peter Trebotte, and together they had four children: Pamela, Paula, Peter, and Patricia. Jane and Peter spent most of their married life in Nashua, New Hampshire, after moving there in 1966. Jane worked for the Nashua School District and later served as an executive secretary for Lockheed Sanders. She also generously gave her time as a volunteer at St. Joseph Hospital.

Following Peter’s death in 1984, Jane found love again with Frank Eckert. Jane and Frank were married on August 15, 1992, and shared nearly 34 years together.

Jane’s family was the center of her life, and she was especially proud of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In her later years, she and Frank relocated to Missouri to be closer to her daughters and their families.

Jane is survived by her husband, Frank; her children, Pamela Young (Scott), Paula Crosier (Thom), Peter Trebotte (Laurel), and Patricia Doherty (Chris); and Frank’s sons, Eric Eckert (Donna) and Ehren Eckert (Cecil).

She is also survived by her grandchildren, Benjamin Young (Stephanie), Katelyn Williams (Sam), Rebecca Auxier (Caleb), Rhiannon Grimes (David), Catherine Mercer (Pete), Hannah Smith (Trevor), Taylor Trebotte, Savannah Barnett (Daniel), Meredith McNeil (Luke), Miranda Watts (Caleb), Emma Doherty (Jason Skivers), Evan Doherty, Grace Eckert, Lauren Stribling (Blake), Haley Roberts (Harris), Rachel Eckert, and Hannah Eckert; 19 great-grandchildren; her siblings, Gary Thomann, Dan Phillips (Maureen), Diane Briggs (David), and her twin sister, Joan Finochario; her sister-in-law, Shirley Phillips; and many loving nieces and nephews.

Jane was preceded in death by her first husband, Rudy Cirafisi; her second husband and the father of her children, Peter Trebotte; and her siblings, Dorothy Rosenbauer (Don), Marilyn Zemaitis (Ed), Marlene Doerrer (Bob), John “Jack” Thomann, and Don Phillips.

Jane enjoyed shopping, playing dominoes, attending her women’s Bible study, and going to church each Sunday. She was a member of Maplewood Church, and her faith remained an important part of her life.

One of Jane’s special joys was watching her granddaughter Rhiannon dance. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Jane’s honor to Störling Dance Theater, a professional modern dance company in Kansas City Area (Olathe) that shares the beauty of dance, the power of storytelling, and the love of Christ through its work. Donations may be made at www.storlingdance.org.

A celebration of Jane’s life will be held at a later date.