Elizabeth Jane McCormick - Obituary

lizabeth Jane Eichelberger McCormick was born on July 5, 1936, and passed away peacefully on December 31, 2025, at the age of 89. Bane (nickname Betty Jane - which became Bane, as her younger brother couldn't pronounce Betty Jane) is survived by her four children and their spouses: Margaret Mary McCormick Perry (Reed), James Howard McCormick III, Michael Keenan McCormick (Julie), and Anne Elizabeth McCormick (Joe Rieg); seven grandchildren: Megan, Reed Jr., Andrew, Keenan, James, Alexandra, and Catherine, and one great-grandson, Charles. Bane is also survived by her sister, Margee Eichelberger Tinker, sister in-law Kathy Reid Eichelberger and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband James H. McCormick Jr. and by her brothers David Eichelberger and Thomas Joseph Eichelberger. Bane grew up living in the Homeland neighborhood of Baltimore, MD. She attended Notre Dame Preparatory School on Charles Street in Baltimore from first grade through her senior year of high school. Excelling in mathematics and science, she also excelled in Field Hockey and competed on the Notre Dame swim team, setting record times which would not be broken for many years. Bane attended St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, majoring in mathematics and continued to swim competitively in college. Bane was beloved by many and had friendships which spanned her lifetime. Bane began spending summers in Sherwood Forest, MD as a young child in the 1940s. She attended the club/camp program and loved competing with friends at swim races/river meets, on the golf course, tennis courts and attending Saturday night dances at the Clubhouse. Bane married James H. 'Jim' McCormick Jr. (Washington, D.C.) in 1959. They started life together in Simpsonville, MD, before moving to Potomac, MD in 1969, to raise their family. They purchased their first summer cottage in Sherwood Forest in 1969; Jim and Bane made Sherwood Forest their permanent home in 1992. Bane enjoyed being surrounded by her family and friends, ideally sharing stories on the screened porch while happily picking crabs or cruising the Severn River by boat. As a young mother of four, she taught all her children how to swim, waterski, crab, and to be a good sport, win or lose. Mom also taught us the importance of loving and honoring extended family; we were blessed to grow up surrounded by aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins. Bane’s memory for detail and accuracy, together with excellent research abilities, enabled her to complete many genealogical histories, both for her own family and for a number of extended family members. She picked up loose ends and doggedly pursued them across generations, investing many happy research hours at Maryland Archives and on Ancestry’s web site. Bane was always thrilled to make contact with distant relatives and celebrated family above all else. As a family, we are grateful to have had Mom in our lives ~ she taught us the true meaning of love by the way she lived her life; always trying to see the good in everyone around her. We are thankful for the loving care she shared with friends and family members throughout her life; and especially grateful to all who reflected love and friendship back to her during her final years. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John Neumann Church in Annapolis, Maryland. A private celebration of life will be held after Mass for family and friends. Details to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Bane's honor to either the Sherwood Forest Boys and Girls Camp (501c3) or the Sherwood Forest Archives. Mailing address for each: 134 Sherwood Forest Road, Sherwood Forest, MD 21405. Condolences may be made by using the Memories link on this page.