Antoinette "Toni" Lane

A Titan Passes Fare you well, fare you well I love you more than words can tell Listen to the river sing sweet songs To rock my soul “Brokedown Palace,” Grateful Dead and Company Antoinette “Toni” Lane passed away on January 14, 2025 at age 80, strong and brave to the end, surrounded by family and loved ones who meant everything to her and whom she encouraged to be courageous, authentic, and to follow their dreams. She lived long enough to hear from many people whose lives she enriched. She was there for them when they needed a friend or adult role model. During her 60 years of marriage, she was devoted to husband Jim and sons Philip and David, as well as grandchildren Alissa, Miranda, Anthony, Victoria, James, and Rebecca, and great-granddaughter Ariana. While family and friends were her top priority, she was also an accomplished artist who had a one-woman show, “Old Saws,” at Indiana University Northwest, where she took classes from her mentor Larry Kaufman and others. Many of her art pieces were based on celebrating family and proverbs she learned from her parents Blanche and Anthony Trojecki. Toni, born on Valentine’s Day, 1944, grew up in a blue-collar Philadelphia neighborhood with older sister Mary Ann and younger siblings Tommy, Susan, Dolores, Donna, and baby Blanche. Throughout her life she remained especially close to sister Mary Ann, husband Sonny, and their boisterous Okomski brood, BFF Darcey Wade, the Bayer and Migoski families, daughters-in-law Angie, Delia, and Beth, and many others. Toni loved wildflowers, the beach, dancing, a challenging crossword puzzle, a good book, her pets Ubu, Poki, and Marvin, Beth’s pies, Angie’s mushroom soup, James acting out the video game Ace Attorney, and Maryland Blue Point crabs. Toni gave her loved ones so many lessons to live by throughout her life, including such advice as “take a deep breath” “don’t sweat the small stuff,” “dance like nobody’s watching,” and “this too shall pass” - and to remember her as she lived - happy, joyful, independent, caring, and full of love. There are no immediate funeral services, but as Toni wanted, a Celebration of her life will happen this summer. In lieu of flowers, Toni would have wanted donations to go to the Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/support-us/ , the World Wildlife Foundation protect.worldwildlife.org or other deserving organizations. Burns Funeral Home & Crematory entrusted with arrangements. www.BurnsFuneral.com