A 42-year-old music teacher died Wednesday
of a noncontagious form
of meningitis.
LEWISTON – Jane Lamontagne Begin seemed never to say no.
A passionate musician with a soft spot for children, she devoted herself to teaching piano at area schools, at a local preschool and from her Sabattus home.
The beloved music teacher who inspired countless children and adults with her boundless energy and ready supply of hugs, died Wednesday from a form of meningitis. She was 42.
With her horse and her black Labrador retriever, Begin brought pet therapy to the residents of Montello Manor in Lewiston. With her music and her devout faith, she dedicated hours every week to St. Joseph’s Church.
She spent every day looking out for her family and friends.
“If Jane had her plate full, she’d say, ‘Oh, no problem,’ and jump to a platter. She’d never say no,” said her friend Colleen Poulin. “She was probably one of the most amazing women I’ve ever met. She just touched so many hearts and lives.”
Born in New Jersey, Begin moved to Maine as a child and graduated from Edward Little High School in Auburn. After graduating from the Chicago Music School and the Sherwood Conservatory of Music in 1983, Begin spent five years teaching music at a Chicago Catholic school.
She was in her late 20s when she returned to Maine and began her music ministry at Holy Cross Church in Lewiston. She gave private lessons from Carroll’s Music Center.
“When she opened the door, there was this energy,” said Poulin, co-owner of the music shop. “She was magic.”
For 15 years, Begin taught music to both kids and adults, from private piano lessons to the choir at St. Joseph’s Church.
“I never thought singing was cool. She finally talked me into singing,” said Matt McAtee, a former student who now works as a professional musician in Nashville. “I haven’t stopped since.”
With her boundless energy, Begin seemed to bounce from one commitment to another: music lessons, pet therapy at a local nursing home; church, family and friends.
“She was always concerned with how you were doing,” said Karen Thompson, a friend.
Said Begin’s mother, Germaine Lamontagne, “At Christmas, she said it was the happiest Christmas she ever had,”
Begin started talking about having children of her own.
“But in a way, she had more kids than anyone I’d ever met,” said McAtee, who flew up from Nashville to see his teacher Tuesday. “She was like a mom to the younger kids and a friend to all the older kids.”
Two weeks ago, Begin checked into St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center. An ear infection had turned into a form of meningitis. Although not contagious to those around her, the brain infection ravaged Begin’s body.
She passed away Tuesday morning.
“You get to know her, it’s like you’ve known her for a lifetime,” said Barbara Charles, one of Begin’s adult piano students. “I can’t play the piano now. I sit down and cry. I can’t read the notes.”
A funeral for Begin will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph’s Church.
Comments are no longer available on this story