Jane Loretta (Goyne) Bainum, who co-founded the Bainum Family Foundation in 1968 with her husband, Stewart Bainum Sr., passed away August 23, 2021, at the age of 101.

Born November 19, 1919, in Tillamook, Oregon, and raised in Pennsylvania, Mrs. Bainum is remembered as the beloved matriarch of her family, a committed philanthropist and a lifelong member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She graduated from Shenandoah Valley Academy in New Market, Virginia, in 1938, then continued her education at Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, Maryland, where she met her husband. The two wed in 1941 and raised their family (which grew to include four children, 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren) in Takoma Park and Silver Spring, Maryland, as they built several successful businesses together.

Following childhoods marked by economic hardship, Stewart and Jane Bainum established the foundation as a way to support the well-being of children and families, with a special focus on those affected by poverty and racism in Washington, D.C., and beyond.

In recent years, following the passing of her husband in 2014, Mrs. Bainum divided her time between her home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Naples, Florida, where she enjoyed spending time with friends and extended family. She was an avid reader and a fervent fan of local professional sports teams, including the Washington Football Team and the Washington Nationals baseball team. Through the Jane Bainum Fund at the Greater Washington Community Foundation, she also supported a range of nonprofits serving children and families as well as faith-based organizations.

While Mr. Bainum was perhaps more visibly involved with the foundation over the years, Mrs. Bainum’s influence is seen and felt throughout our work. We are grateful for her lifelong spirit of caring and generosity, and we are honored to be part of carrying on her tremendous legacy.