Jane Magrino Tolman, a daughter, sister, wife, veteran journalist and loyal friend died Sunday, Feb. 22, at the age of 60.
Jane Magrino Tolman
She was the daughter of New Canaan resident Mary Cross, and sister of Sarah Magrino Miller of Norwalk, Susan Magrino Dunning of New York City and New Canaan and Allyn Cross Magrino of New Canaan. She was pre-deceased by her father J.L. Magrino Jr., as well as her husband Mason Tolman Jr. In addition to her mother and sisters, Jane is survived by nephews Stetson Miller, Noah Miller and Maximilian Holmberg; niece Annika Holmberg and great-nephew Henry Miller, along with her brother-in-law James D. Dunning Jr.
Born in New Jersey in October 1965, Jane was the third of four Magrino sisters. She grew up first in West Orange, then in Delaware, where she graduated from Newark High School.
Jane was a writer throughout her life. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Smith College, majoring in history, specifically early modern Europe. She later earned a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School, during which she spent three months in Washington, D.C., filing stories as a political correspondent for The Great Falls Tribune.
In the spring of 1996, Jane married advertising executive Mason Tolman Jr., in a ceremony in Manhattan. The couple spent five years in Key West, Fla., before returning in 2001 to Mason’s hometown of Slingerlands, N.Y., where they moved into a house built in the late 1890s by his great-grandfather. After her husband’s death in 2011, Jane remained in Slingerlands.
Her career moved between newsroom reporting and financial writing. She reported for The Southampton Press in the early to mid-1990s, then became a financial writer for Dow Jones News Services. Later, she freelanced, with bylines in The Associated Press, The New York Post and the Key West Citizen, and also worked in finance, including a period at Merrill Lynch. In later years, she wrote and edited extensively online, including long stretches producing client work through ContentWriters.com and Textbroker. She described herself as a “grammar fanatic” and a “detail-oriented” editor who wasn’t afraid of constructive criticism.
In her later years, Jane’s big-hearted energy increasingly flowed toward animals. She deeply loved dogs, and caring for them became central to her life. Friends and family said that her affection for pets was boundless, and that in her final chapter she built her days around them, especially her dog Scooby.
Jane was a frequent visitor to New Canaan to see her family and often accompanied her mother to services at St. Mark’s Church in New Canaan. She always enjoyed seeing Father Peter Walsh, a native of the Slingerlands NY area who knew Jane’s late husband and played tennis at Mason’s home in his childhood. Jane was a proud Daughter of the American Revolution and had been a member of the Hannah Benedict Carter chapter in New Canaan.
While Jane had no children, she was adored by her nephews and niece and was a constant presence in their lives, spending as much time with them as she could.
A memorial service for Jane is planned for 11 a.m. on Saturday March 28 at St. Mark’s Church in New Canaan.
Sending my deepest heartfelt condolences to the entire Magrinos family members. I met Jane her sisters & mother Mary while member of Hannah Benedict Carter chapter of NSDAR. Made an effort to visit when in Albany NY.
My condolences to Jane’s family and friends. I am so sad to learn this. She was an incredibly caring person and took wonderful care of our family member, Gus. We will all miss her.
I have known Jane my entire life and will always cherish the wonderful memories from our childhood. Praying for peace and strength for her family.
My condolences to Jane’s family and friends. I met Jane through a shared love of Slingerlands history and her wonderful old Victorian home. She will be deeply missed.
On behalf of the Smith College Class of 1987, we send heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of our classmate Jane. Classmates remember Jane as always kind and funny, sweet, outgoing, easy to be around, and full of positive energy. Classmates loved seeing Jane at reunion and hopes she watches over us with the same good energy she had on earth. We will fondly remember the positive impact Jane had on our class.
Jane was beloved as a good friend and superior substitute “Dog Mom” by many in the Slingerlands/Delmar area. She was accomplished, energetic, kind, fun and always thrilled to be part of our extended families by taking great care of our pups. This was a woman who held Easter eggs hunts for her doggy friends, as well as Halloween parties complete with costumes! She was always there for us – I could call with only a few hours’ unplanned notice and she was always happy for me to bring our girl for a “play date”. My dog would whine with complete joy when we drove into Jane’s driveway and tackle her with equal love if she saw her at the dog park! I always enjoyed my extended chats with Jane – I was constantly learning something new about her and her interesting life. She loved to go to Saratoga to the track, to go on trips with her sisters, and to visit her mother. I am so very sad to be without her, and sad that it appears her family did not post her obit locally in the Delmar Spotlight, as it appears that folks are only now sadly learning that she has passed. The love of the dog community for this extraordinary women is vastly underestimated. There are already discussions by her fans about establishing a memorial for her in the community. An amazing lady.
I was so saddened to learn of Jane’s passing. I first met the Magrino Girls when they were teenagers through my husband Victor who worked for their dad JL in the financial securities industry. We had some memorable times together during their visits to Wall St, and weekends in Orient Point.
My sincere condolences to her sisters and mom. Sonia Sicuranza