Jane Bridgins

Jane Bridgins, matriarch of the Accent Shop in Indianapolis, passed away on Monday, December 19th. She was born in Rockville, Indiana in 1930, the only child of Arthur and Nellie Jane Littick, and raised in Hoopeston, Illinois.

Jane attended Ohio Wesleyan, where she earned a degree in Fine Art and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and Phi Beta Kappa. Afterward she worked in the display department at L.S. Ayres in downtown Indianapolis, where she made lifelong friendships and met Richard Bridgins, with whom she fell in love and who she married in 1956. After marrying Dick, Jane moved to the advertising department as office policy did not permit couples to work together. Preferring to work as a creative team, they hatched the idea of the Accent Shop, which opened in 1958 at 34th and Penn and featured mid-century modern home furnishings and accessories that were hard to find elsewhere. Jane’s creative touch was evident in the shop’s hand drawn ads and carefully sewn Santas and trees for the display windows. Together they had vision, passion for design, and a great sense of fun. In the 1970s they moved the store to Glendale, where Dick and Jane were helped by their two daughters. Jane continued running the Accent Shop until she was 89, helped after Dick’s passing in 1994 by her daughter and son-in-law, who still run the Accent Shop — now located on 86th Street—today.

Jane loved live music, theater, art and beautiful things. She traveled well into her eighties and collected over 100 rare and antique dolls. Her friends at Orchard Park Presbyterian church and the Portfolio Club were an important part of her beliefs and circle of community. She paid attention to details and did things “the right way” with care. A fall involving six broken ribs and a bone in her back slowed her down, but couldn’t keep her from four more years of a life she loved. She was often seen trekking down the hall late at night to her apartment after an event, and people would marvel at her stamina. She was often complimented for her keen sense of style, and her smile and sense of humor were infectious. These last years, it was her adaptability, determination and kindness that impressed us most. To her last breath, we felt her zest for love and life. She made the most of nearly 93 years, and her family feels most fortunate to have her in our lives as long as we did.

Jane is survived by her two daughters and their husbands, four grandchildren, two nephews, and her beloved dog Max. She was interred next to her husband in Oaklawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Fishers. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.