Obituary: Jane Nelson Glaser Mooty leaves legacy of community service

Jane Nelson Glaser Mooty was the first woman to serve on the board of the Minneapolis YMCA and the Minneapolis Automobile Association. She was on the board of Augsburg College, the University of Minnesota Foundation, International Dairy Queen — and the list goes on.

Mooty had a passion and talent for civic participation and leadership, her family and friends said.

"Jane would just, without fanfare or any coercion whatsoever, would just rise to a leadership role in whatever group she was with. And it was very competent leadership. She was a doer," said Robert Mason, a friend and former neighbor.

Glaser Mooty, 94, died of natural causes April 17, one year to the day after her husband John Mooty's death.

"Even in death she kind of did it her way," her son, Chip Glaser, said of the timing.

John Mooty was a prominent lawyer and businessman in the Twin Cities. Jane was previously married to his business partner, Ken Glaser, and John was married to Jane's sister. After the early deaths of their spouses, John and Jane developed a deep bond and realized they loved each other, said Barbara Glaser, Jane's daughter.

Both of Glaser Mooty's marriages were true partnerships, her daughter said.

The three pillars of their household were family, work and community, Barbara Glaser said. Following in her mother's footsteps, she became the first woman inducted into the Rotary Club in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. When she walked into a "room full of gray suits," Glaser said, it gave her a better understanding of her mother's experiences.

Glaser Mooty brought creativity and a talent for consensus-building to the boards she served on, her children said.

Before her involvement in the numerous associations, she channeled that creativity into her work as a sixth-grade and junior high teacher. She helped students stage musical productions, publish a newspaper and produce shows that played on the University of Minnesota's radio station.

Looking back on his mother's accomplishments, Chip Glaser said her greatest pride was her family.

Jane and John, who were married for 43 years, also had an ever-growing circle of friends, Barbara Glaser said, recalling their ability to connect with people over games of bridge on their many trips abroad.

"It is indeed a legacy of theirs," Mason said, adding that they were dedicated to making it a good place to live. "This was not a typical developer's location. It just wasn't."

The decision to create their own community instead of settling into an existing location shows her mother's enterprising attitude, Barbara Glaser said.

Glaser Mooty was constantly looking forward to the next project or trip, her daughter said. "She was always asking, 'What's next?' "

She is survived by her two children, three stepchildren — David, Bruce and Charles Mooty — 16 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Services have been held.