MARY JANE BISHOP CHAMBERS, formerly of Owego, N.Y. and Green Valley,

passed away peacefully in her childhood home in Berkeley, Calif. on Friday, June 19, 2009, after a long, courageous battle with brain cancer.

Mary Jane was born on May 27, 1936, in Ventura, Calif. After completing a degree in Physical Therapy at UC Berkeley and UCSF Medical Center, she married Allan D. Bishop Jr. on June 20, 1959. They moved east to New York while Allan attended law school and settled in Owego in 1961, where they raised their family. Mary Jane also worked in hospital, home and rehabilitation settings for many years.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 29 years, Allan D. Bishop Jr.; her father Leonard R. Wohletz Sr.; and her sister Catherine W. Koenig.

She is survived by their three children: Dr. Laura J. Bishop of Arlington, Va., Allan D. Bishop III (Cheryl) and their three children, of whom she was very proud, Olivia, Allan IV, and Isaiah, all of Owego, and Catherine E. B. Waterman (Rick) and his daughter Makenzi, also of Owego.

She also is survived by her husband Frank M. Chambers of Green Valley and his family. After their marriage in 1994, they “retired” to Green Valley where they embraced life and, until her illness, enjoyed playing tennis and travelling near and far.

Mary Jane also is survived by her 98-year-old mother Jane G. Wohletz; brother Leonard Jr. (Jane); and sisters Elizabeth Rounkle (Jim) and Margaret Cousins (Steve); her brother-in-law Thierry Koenig; sister-in-law Faith Jolley and her husband Eric; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews. She also had many kind and caring friends.

She faced her cancer diagnosis with equanimity and determination - always positive - always exploring treatment options and with hope for the future. Mary Jane was appreciative of the many sacrifices made by her extended family that allowed her to seek treatment at UCSF and stay in the family home in Berkeley.

Her children want to especially thank Bet, Margie, Patrick, Peter, Lauren and Brigitte for their special love, care and attention.

Memorial services will be held Aug. 15, 2009, at the Owego United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Owego United Methodist Church (www.gbgm-umc.org.owegoumc/), The National Brain Tumor Society (www.braintumor.org), or to the charity of one’s choosing.

A memorial service in Green Valley will be held at the convenience of the family.

The family would like to thank the physicians and other professionals at UCSF Medical Center, Alta Bates Comprehensive Cancer Center and Sutter VNA and Hospice for their care. We also want to thank her caregiver Viviana Rivera, who was very gentle and thoughtful, and the many other kind and caring people who helped her in some way. Lastly, we want to express our appreciation, as our mother frequently did to us, to the many relatives and friends who expressed their love through cards, visits and calls.