Jane Baillargeon was known for her diversity of interests — from ballet to Harleys — and for her willingness to get involved in everything.
Baillargeon, associate director of Institutional Research and Assessment at the University of Idaho, died of complications from large B cell lymphoma, a type of cancer, on March 11, at Providence Scared Heart Medical Center in Spokane.
Her memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. April 16, at the Moscow Church of the Nazarene located at 1400 East 7th St.
Baillargeon was a Moscow resident and longtime Vandal. She received her Bachelor of Arts in anthropology, Master of Science in public administration and doctorate in education.
Former friend and colleague Kristi Overfelt said Baillargeon was not only a true Vandal because of her academics, career and commitment to education, but also because of her involvement in university-wide initiatives.
“She was the committee queen,” Overfelt said. “She served on faculty senate and numerous other university committees. She wasn’t the loudest one in the room, but she was always there helping people make the right decisions. Anyone could count on her.”
Baillargeon worked as part of the UI Institutional Research and Assessment team.
Director of Institutional Research and Assessment Archie George said she was successful in her position as the associate director, because she had a knack for getting people to understand complicated data sets and information.
“What she could do is help people tell a story,” George said. “In trying to help people who are preparing for their specialized accreditation or their program reviews, Chris and I can sit down with them and we’ll give them the same numbers and data we would provide anyway. But, then Jane could come in and tell them how to organize it, give the context and tell them what their numbers mean and how to explain it to other people. She had an enhanced skill of interpreting numbers.”
George said after knowing Baillargeon for nearly 20 years, it will be tremendously difficult to find a replacement for the associate director position and impossible to replace her as a friend.
Baillargeon’s daughter Jennifer Baillargeon-Hauck is an administrative assistant with the English department. She said her mom was more than a parent, she was one of her best friends. Baillargeon-Hauck said she admired her diversity of interests, because it made her a unique person.
“She danced for years — she was a ballet dancer — and yet she rode Harleys with my dad, and she would horseback ride and ice skate, and cook and laugh,” Baillargeon-Hauck said. “She was this really strong and determined woman and she made it through breast cancer without breaking down — she was just this amazing, diverse, wonderful person.”
Baillargeon is survived by her husband, Jim, daughters Jennifer and Kathryn, parents Anne and Richard, siblings David, Sarah, Molly and Brian, as well as the many nieces and nephews she had.
“I’m ridiculously proud of her,” Baillargeon-Hauck said. “People say they know my mom and I know it’s for great, great things.”
In addition to the April 16 memorial service, a tree near the education building will be dedicated in her honor. The cost of the tree, engraved plaque and the care and maintenance of the tree is $2,500. Overfelt said the project is about halfway funded and if anyone would like to donate to the memorial tree to reach Overfelt at [email protected].
Amber Emery can be reached at [email protected]