Jane Carol Maisch Probst, Founder of LASP, Passes at 91
A passionate skier, dedicated volunteer, and champion for adaptive athletes whose impact will be felt for generations.
ELLICOTTVILLE - Jane Carol Maisch Probst, 91, formerly of Ellicottville, NY and Bay Village, OH, passed away on January 22, 2026.
Born November 8, 1934 in Cleveland, OH, she was the daughter of the late Sterling Maisch and Irene Rothermel Maisch. She married Hubert “Bert” Probst on December 1, 1962 in Cleveland, OH, who predeceased her after 54 years, in 2017. She met Bert on a blind date in 1958 and married 4 years later.
Jane earned a degree in Medical Technology from Ohio University. She worked as a medical technologist at Lakewood Hospital in Lakewood, OH, and for a brief time in Saginaw, Michigan. She was instrumental in setting up the laboratory in the Pulmonary Medical Group in Fairview Park, OH, where she retired from before moving to Ellicottville, NY with her husband.
While raising a loving family in Bay Village, OH, winter weekends were spent traveling to and from Ellicottville, NY to ski at Holiday Valley Ski Resort, where they passed on their lifelong passion to their children and grandchildren. Their ski adventures took them throughout North America and Europe. In 1985, Jane joined the Holiday Valley Ski School as a ski instructor. In 1988, Jane founded the Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program at Holiday Valley, empowering people with disabilities to enjoy skiing using adaptive equipment. At the time, this was one of the first adaptive ski programs in the nation. Jane recruited the original staff of instructors and grew the program to what it is today. After 15 years, she retired from adaptive ski instruction. Today, the Lounsbury Adaptive Program provides over 200 adaptive lessons each season with over 40 qualified instructors.
After Jane and Bert moved full-time to Ellicottville, Jane spent 10 years as a volunteer at the Ellicottville Memorial Library. In 2019, Jane moved to Canterbury Woods Retirement Community in Williamsville, NY. There, she volunteered for the on-site library, started a reading program for residents in assisted living, and started a weekly singing club.
Jane was a longtime parishioner of St. Raphael Roman Catholic Church in Bay Village, OH, and Holy Name of Mary Roman Catholic Church in Ellicottville, NY, where she was a member of the choir.
Jane is survived by her children: Joseph (Donna), Mary (William), and Timothy (Tahira), 8 loving grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
In addition to her husband, Jane was predeceased by her brother, John Maisch.
Friends may call at O’Rourke & O’Rourke Funeral Home, 25 River St, Salamanca, NY on Thursday, January 29, 2026 from 5:00-8:00pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Holy Name of Mary Roman Catholic Church, 22 Jefferson St., Ellicottville, NY on Friday at 10:30am with Rev. Charles Johnson as celebrant.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program, Holiday Valley Resort, PO Box 370, Ellicottville, NY 14731 or www.lounsburyadaptive.org/donate, or the Ellicottville Memorial Library, 6499 Maples Rd., Ellicottville, NY 14731. E-condolences can be sent to orourke.orourkefh@gmail.com or facebook.com/onofh.