Jane Ella Nabors Atchison, age 74, died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, September 6, 2015.Born September 24, 1940, in Meridian, Mississippi, to Verba Martha Anne Huey Nabors and Ben Frank Nabors, Jane attended Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Alabama, and graduated with a BA in French from Agnes Scott College in 1962. She married James William David Atchison in Birmingham, Alabama, on June 23, 1962.Raising three children with enthusiasm and love came naturally to Jane. She and her family lived in Suffolk, England, Durham, North Carolina,and Greenville, South Carolina, before settling in Ruston, Louisiana, where she was an active volunteer and valued community member for 35 years. She was a member of the Medical Auxiliary and was instrumental in the founding of the Ruston Family YMCA. Jane served as a substitute teacher at Ruston High School for several years. Shethen taught French at Simsboro High School in Simsboro, Louisiana, for 10 years, where she touched the lives of the young people in her classes. She also received a Master of Education in Counseling from Louisiana Tech University, and taught classes in Active Parenting. After retiring from teaching, she worked as a docent at the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens in Monroe.In 2011, Jane moved to Asheville, North Carolina, to live inDeerfield, anEpiscopal retirement community. She felt that she had truly come home to her beloved mountains, and she looked forward to enjoying a new chapter in her life at the special community where she quickly made a home and many, many friends.Jane faith and church communities were a vital part of her life. She was an active member of Grace Episcopal Church in Monroe, Louisiana, for more than 30 years, singing in the choir, serving on the vestry, coordinatingand helping sew needlepoint kneelers for the church, and taking on countless other roles. In Asheville, she joined All Souls Cathedral, where she was a member of the Cathedral Choir and a volunteer in the church office.Jane will always be remembered as a beloved wife andmother, consummate friend, and truly exceptional grandmother. She had many passions, among them her animals, her woods and plants, and classical music. She cherished singing in choirs and ensembles wherever she lived, and she was a member of the Asheville Choral Society. Jane greatest joy, however, had to betravel. While a high school teacher, Jane planned and lededucational trips for the American Council of International Studies, expanding the horizons of the many students and families she took abroad.Over the years, she not only traveled to all seven continents, but also re-visited many of them multiple times, with Africa being a favorite destination. Some of her more unique journeys included visits to India, Nepal, the Galapagos Islands, Iceland, Peru, China and the Antarctic Peninsula. Jane delighted in new adventures and in sharing her travels with friends, children and especially grandchildren, making invaluable memories that will never be forgotten. Small in stature but with a huge personality, Jane wasfull of energy, curiosity and fun.Jane is survived by her husband of 53 years, Dr. David Atchison, children Heather, Laura Jane and Phillip, grandchildren Heather, Lily, Will and Hawkins, brother Ben Frank, nephew Benjamin and four-legged companions Starbuck and Tigger. Memorial services will be held at Grace Episcopal Church in Monroe, Louisiana, on Saturday, September 12 at 10:00 a.m., and at All Souls Cathedral, Asheville, North Carolina, on Saturday, September 26 at 10:00 a.m. Memorials may be made in Jane name to Chimp Haven in Keithville, Louisiana, or to All Soul Cathedral in Asheville, North Carolina.