Jane Gray Mangus

Aug 21, 1926 -

Nov 5, 2022

Jane Gray Mangus, 96, retired journalist, writer and editor, died on Nov. 5, 2022, at Providence Alaska Medical Center.

Jane was born on Aug. 21, 1926, in Washington, D.C. Her father, Chester H. Gray, was a lawyer who served as the Corporation Counsel for the city of Washington, D.C. Jane received her Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Pennsylvania State University in 1948.

In 1950, Jane married field geologist/artist Marvin D. Mangus and accompanied him as he commenced his lifelong work of investigating the geology of the North Slope of Alaska and creating fine art paintings. The newlyweds honeymooned during the summer of 1950 in Fairbanks. They resided in Washington, D.C., but also summered in 1951 and 1952 in Alaska.

When Marvin left the USGS and joined Atlantic Refining Co. in 1958, the young family resided in two countries before finally settling in Anchorage. Marvin worked two years in Guatemala and two years in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, as a field geologist, often spending months at a time away from his family. When Atlantic transferred Marvin to Anchorage in 1962, he became their senior surface field geologist, in charge of the Arctic Slope. He was a key part of the team of people who made the landmark discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay in 1968. Marvin had a noteworthy parallel career as an artist, and there was no bigger fan of his artwork than Jane. He often had to sell pieces on the sly because she wanted to keep too many of them. Jane almost always got her way when she was absolutely dead-set on keeping a painting.

After 20 years of being a full-time homemaker, Jane went back to work in 1975. Son Alfred was born in 1953, and Donald in 1955. Jane first worked as a technical writer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, then worked for many years as a writer/editor for public affairs, Bureau of Land Management, retiring in 1993.

Jane enjoyed all 29 years of her retirement: "Being just as busy as I want to. Before I retired, I worried that I'd be bored or maybe lonely. It just hasn't happened." Jane cared for Marvin for four years after he was seriously impaired by Parkinson's disease, until he passed in 2009. The two were happily married for 58 years.

Highlights of Jane's life and careers have been published in numerous newspapers, professional publications and magazine articles. Jane was a loving wife, mother, journalist, editor, poet and avid reader. She was a 60-year member of the Anchor Park United Methodist Church and later attended The Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Jane loved Alaska and resided in Anchorage for 60 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Chester (1967) and Ruth Gray (1986); husband, Marvin (2009); first cousin, William Gray (2021); and other relatives.

She is survived by eldest son, Alfred (wife Divina), their son Abraham; youngest son, Donald; nephews, Jeff Snyder of Colorado and Gregory Snyder of Pennsylvania; first cousin, Carol Ann Whitman of Pennsylvania; and these relatives' extended family members.

A Celebration of Life Service for Jane will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, at Anchor Park United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to Anchor Park Methodist Church, Hospice of Anchorage, Access Alaska or to the Northwest Parkinson's Foundation.