Jane Lally Montei

Jane Lally Montei was born on September 19, 1969, to Patrick and Mary Ann (Gleason) Lally in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she spent the majority of her life.

She attended Convent of the Visitation School, where she cherished her all-girls education and made many lifelong friends. In 1992, she graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in Art History and, as the life of every party, an “honorary degree in socializing.” During college, she worked at Annie’s, her favorite clothing store on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue, where she continued to make connections that lasted for decades. After Annie’s, she began working at an event promotions firm, where she stayed for a remarkable 18 years.

Jane married Jon Montei in 2003, and in 2008, they welcomed twin boys, Andrew and Crosby. Her family was the greatest joy of her life.

The boys and Jane shared a love of sports, waterslides, movies, and travel. She loved surprising them with a special birthday table each year and filled the other 364 days with backyard bonfires, family movie nights, and comforting bedtime routines. She was their biggest cheerleader and treasured every minute spent with them.

Jane loved art, laughter, sunshine, swimming, watching the boys’ sports, home décor, sweets, and dancing. Her wardrobe was full of color, and she was rarely seen without her signature pink lipstick.

Friendship defined her world. She cherished old friends, welcomed new ones, and valued each one. Throughout her recent health journey, she was surrounded by an extraordinary network of support, for which she remained profoundly grateful.

Jane is survived by her husband, Jon, and sons, Andrew and Crosby; her siblings, John (Susan) Lally, Joe Lally, and Brigid (Erik) Gustafson; and her nieces and nephew: Keira and Patrick Lally, Grace and Sara Lally, and Jane and Kate Gustafson.

From one of her favorite movies, Up, Jane has a message for all of her loved ones: “Thanks for the adventure… now go have a new one.”

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Church of the Assumption, 51 West 7th Street, St. Paul, MN, at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 5, with visitation one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Visitation Monastery of Minneapolis.

In honor of Jane, don’t be shy — wear color.