Doris Costley

Jane Taylor Costley, 82, most recently of Alpharetta, Georgia, passed away on the morning of May 15, 2026.

Born in Richmond, Kentucky, to Jonathan S. and Doris B. Taylor (Roberts) in 1943, Jane’s early childhood was spent playing on her grandparents’ farm. After her father lost his life in World War II, Jane’s mother got remarried to a young military officer (James Meek) and her family began a journey that included stations in Germany and Japan, as well as many posts across the United States, where Jane developed her uncanny ability to make friends wherever she landed.

Jane attended Kansas State University and was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, where she was voted “most congenial” by her sorority sisters. It was at KSU where Jane was introduced to Byron Costley via a blind date at a football game. Soon after her graduation from KSU with a bachelor’s degree in education, she married Byron. Following her husband’s discharge from his short stint as a military officer during the Vietnam War, they moved to Washington D.C., then to Florida, where they embarked on a decades long journey together, while she supported his business pursuits and they raised their children.

Jane was a loving, devoted, and supportive mother of three children, and dedicated most of her waking life to their well-being. She was very curious about the world, savvy in pop culture and current events, an avid reader, and had the gift of being able to research any travel destination to find the best and most interesting options, all before the internet was a thing. While she was an untalented driver, she loved to accompany her husband on his boondoggle business trips (Australia, Europe, Canada, and beyond) and, later, to fly anywhere to visit her adult children on vacations, or ‘just because’ for quality time. Well-traveled, Jane was fortunate enough to see the Great Wall of China (one of her bucket list spots), and it would not take much arm-twisting to get her to go visit new beaches, fall leaves and city restaurants, near or far.

Jane also loved animals of all kinds, and had her own playful language when communicating with them. She loved fashion trends and dressing-up for dinners, and taking walks in parks or along the shore, where she would look up at the sky and pick out shapes (“look at that cloud, see that outline of a horse?”). She was excellent in making any holiday or birthday special, inherited her mother’s ability to craft for special occasions, and was a superb and thoughtful gift-giver. We will all miss her kind, selfless, and cheerful heart, full of love.

Jane is survived by her sister, Carolyn; her three children, Shannon of Scottsdale, AZ, Shawn (Ron) of Edmonds, WA, and Keith (Susan) of Suwanee, GA; and her four grandchildren, Christopher (Sarah), Nicholas, Noah, and Regan. She will be greatly missed by all.