It was the first time I met Jan to hike in the DWG.   As she pulled into the lot in her little red car, I noticed there was a really big dog in the back seat.  When she parked next to me, the dog caught my eye and started barking ferociously, spittle thrown onto the inside of the window.  I quickly moved back, fearing this hike would not go well for me.  Jan calmly exited the car, unbuckled the gigantic dog from the seat harness and said, “Tank, this is Sharyn.  She’s going to hike with us today.”  Tank looked at me, stopped barking, jumped out of the car, then put his head down to be petted.  That was the beginning of the many hikes I took with Jan.

We talked about politics, education, family, and anything else that came to mind.  She taught me about plants and birds.  I will miss those walks in the woods.  She touched many lives in a variety of ways.  I’m so glad she touched mine.

Sadness, shock, the loss of a great friend

As we process the loss of Jan, it seems crazy for us to meet on Saturday to say goodbye. 

I was given the gift of Jan’s friendship as we taught, side by side in the education department at ESU. God, she made me laugh. No one was better prepared for class than Jan. And, she cared for her students. 

We furthered our friendship by helping The BEST Scvholship Group together. Assisting students in need with their tuition and mentoring. 

In the 20 year history of the program, Jan was the only person to not only donate her time  to mentor 3 different students, but she was also their sponsor as well 💕 For Jordan, Galina and Jacob, Jan gave them a gift of a lifetime. 

To have Jan as a friend, was a friend for life ❤️

I was lucky to be a student in Jan’s Honors Geometry class back in the 1980s in high school. Jan was not only a master teacher, an amazing human being and environmentalist, but she also made learning, and just being in class, fun. She made a space for all kids in her classroom.

I taught with Jan later in life, however, those early years really impacted me when Jan would make geometric shaped cookies for her students at Christmas, and especially when a group of us students took personal days on Earth Day and went hiking up the Delaware Water Gap–I will never forget how Jan, who was home on a maternity leave, not only baked us brownies for our hike, but also wished she could go take that hike with us!

My heartfelt condolences to Jan’s family and friends.

Hike on!

Jan truly was a renaissance woman. Her career was in math, but she was one of the most voracious readers I knew.  She mentored student teachers, both at the university and in schools. She loved classical music, whether it was volunteering at the Allentown Symphony or attending a beautiful choral concert.  She was politically engaged and worked for candidates that she felt could best lead the country.  She loved the outdoors and was an avid hiker. She loved animals, especially her beloved dog, Piper, who must miss her terribly. Every year a beautiful plate of Christmas cookies would appear on our doorstep. Jan and I were in a small book group together. We often met via Zoom, but if we were all in town, we always met for dinner around a beautifully set table at her lovely townhouse. I will never forget these evenings... I am truly sorry that her life was cut short and will miss her. My husband, Doug, also knew Jan well and was shocked and saddened by the news of her passing. Our hearts goes out to her husband and her sons. We wish them peace and comfort at this difficult time.            

I was shocked when I heard the news of Jan's passing. Jan was one of the kindest people I knew.  She had a huge heart. Didn't see her all the time but when I did see her We would talk for hours about everything. My heart is broken over this news may she rest in eternal peace. 

We loved talking to Jan about the dogs, and she always made great comments about how quickly our girls were growing. We will miss Jan

So sad! Such a wonderful person and talented educator. She worked with our student teachers with such passion… she knew the importance of her work. God bless. 

Jan was a really unusual person. Obviously she was good at math and we worked closely together as supervisors at Warren Hills, but she was one of those people who had both sides of her brain working. Late in her academic career she became a National Writing Project Fellow and we worked together in retirement giving workshops through the Penn State National Writing Project. 

In retirement, Jan and I canvassed for our local US House representative. We had many lively discussions about politics and current events. Jan loved to read and we often  passed book recommendations back and forth. Jan appreciated music and art and we went to numerous films together. One time we had gone to a movie at Steel Stacks in Bethlehem and were talking so much on the way home that we missed the turn for the Minsi Trail Bridge - twice! We almost missed it a third time because we were laughing so hard that two smart people couldn't figure out how to get home from Bethlehem. That incident makes me smile every time I think of it. 

She will be sadly missed by her family and many friends. May her memory be a blessing.

Jan was a great women! She was loved by so many. She empowered me to be a better person. I loved going on walks with her and meeting her other friends. She was a light in my world. We shared so many laughs and tears sometimes. She was my BEST sponsor and I could not thank Billy Staples enough for pairing us up. We loved walking by the river with Piper and Marble, they would make us laugh. Jan may you rest in peace. I loved you so much!❤️

Jordan’s Bridal Shower — with Janet, Jordan DiMarcello and Galina Reilly

Jan was truly the kindest person I've ever known. She showed so much love to all of the people, children and pups in our community. She has left a mark in every one of our hearts forever. Our thoughts are with all those that loved her.

Ran into Jan often at the mailbox with her doggies.  Jan always made holiday cookies every year and shared them with her neighbors.  She brightened the neighborhood and the world.  We'll miss her !

I met Jan because I always seen her walking her dog in our neighborhood. We would wave at each other every time I passed her while driving while she was walking. Even tho I didn’t know Jan very well, the times we did chat, I enjoyed our conversation. She loved walking her dog and showed how friendly she was to other neighbors. I will certainly miss seeing her!

May Jan rest in peace in the arms of the Lord.