Topp, Jane
TOPP, Jane Kathryn "Jae"
Jane "Jae" K. Topp, age 73, of Atlanta, died Friday, March 31, 2023, after several years of declining health. She passed away at her home in Virginia-Highlands. A lifelong resident of Atlanta, Jae was born November 24, 1949, the daughter of the late Dr. Allan C. Topp and Sara Shelnutt Topp.
She graduated from Northside High School in 1967, attended Florida State University, and graduated from Georgia State University in 1972. Her lifelong love of travel and languages began in high school in the summer of 1966 when she studied French in Montpellier, France, at the Foreign Language League School. She was fluent in French and Spanish.
A seasoned traveler who was always up for adventure, Jae wintered for many years in the Yucatan where she charmed the locals and made many lifelong friends. In 1991 she earned her SCUBA certification and loved exploring and the reefs and cenotes. She explored the Mayan ruins, added many of the native bird species to her extensive life list, and led guided bird watching tours in Costa Rica. She took several sailing trips and left her footprints in many countries – the Bahamas, Egypt (with her Bremen, GA, cousins), Nova Scotia (her father's boyhood home), Venezuela, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, and Australia.
In the 1970s, she began the annual Christmas parties which were on the "can't miss" list. In the 1980s, she began cooking in earnest and loved hosting dinner parties. This translated into her work for the Blue Apron program at Publix. She taught many shoppers the basics of cooking and helped them transform ingredients into something delicious.
Her love of music was another way she loved her friends and family. An accomplished pianist and flutist, Jae loved classical music as well as many other genres. Her trips to Jazz Fest in New Orleans were legendary.
Jae is survived by her brother, Randy Topp of Tucson, AZ; niece, Annie Velazquez of McLean, VA; nephews, Aaron (Stefanie) Topp of Charlotte, NC, and Chris Topp of Portland, Oregon; grandnieces, Isabella Velazquez, Amelie and Eleanor Topp; grandnephew, Henry Topp; stepsons, Mitchell Turner and Kyle (Alee) Turner, and their children, all of Atlanta; sisters-in-law, Missy Topp of Virginia, and Crystal Turner, Comer, GA; numerous cousins, legions of friends; and her beloved cats, Lucy and Smokey.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved life partner, Mr. Lee Turner.
A Celebration of her Life will be Saturday, April 15, 2023, at 4 PM, in her garden among the hydrangeas and angel wing begonias.
