The time has arrived to share with you that our wonderful Jane Anne Markey Walker, a.k.a. Janne, at age 80, passed onto the next chapter in her story on February 2nd, 2022. She fought a long battle with Alzheimer’s and was quite annoyed with this unforgiving disease. She is, most likely, celebrating with her loved ones and numerous cats in heaven.

Janne was born in Kansas City, Missouri on July 22, 1941, to Ephraim Amos Markey and Mary Jane Irvine Markey. Her father was from Warrensburg, Missouri and her mother from Mars Hill, Missouri.

Ephraim was a football coach at Northeast High School where Janne went to school. He coached there from 1938 to 1952. Janne and her mother established a perpetual football scholarship for students at the University of Central Missouri, from which her dad had graduated, and she thoroughly enjoyed presenting that scholarship every year. Janne was an avid football fan with special support for her Kansas City Chiefs.

Janne remembers Kansas City as a nice place to grow up. Her part of town was half Italian. She was a cheerleader in high school, was in the literary society and also a Girl Scout. She played lots of sports, including basketball, field hockey, softball, tennis, volleyball, ping-pong and was a good swimmer.

Janne graduated from Northeast High School in 1959 and went to the University of Missouri. She pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma, was active in campus politics and was a sorority officer. Janne studied at Mizzou for five years and earned her master’s degree in teaching in the fifth year, graduating in 1964.

Janne met her former husband, Donald Walker, while getting her master’s degree. Don had an ROTC scholarship and went into the Navy to be a pilot. Janne taught 2nd grade for a year in Kansas City while Don finished college.

After a big wedding, their lives were full of adventures living in many locations, stateside and in Japan - Pensacola, Florida; Corpus Christi, Texas; San Francisco; San Diego; Meridian, Mississippi and in Yokosuka, Japan where Don was an admiral’s aide and Janne taught English to Japanese women. They lived in Norfolk on Powhatan Avenue and in Washington, D.C. and Italy before returning to Norfolk and buying the Hanover Avenue house around 1984. Janne “never met a stranger” and supported her former husband’s career throughout. They loved to entertain and were known for their Oyster Bowl parties.

The value of a good education for herself and her many students was always a primary goal. She tirelessly mentored several of her students through her years of teaching in California and Virginia. They were her “children”. While in Norfolk, Janne became attached to several local students and tutored them for years and helped them in many ways. Janne retired from teaching in 2009.

Her hobbies included antiques, mahjongg, travel, cats and driving her beloved 1978 280Z car. She also loved her VW Van. She has traveled to Alaska, to space camp in Alabama 10 times and to all states but five (North and South Dakota, Idaho, Montana and Maine). She has been on every continent but Africa, South America and Antarctica.

While in Norfolk, Janne was involved in the Azalea Unity Circle, which raises funds for The Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters. She also was active with a local Kappa alumni group. She spent several years volunteering with a weekend science program at Nauticus. Nauticus supported low-income Norfolk children growing oysters and learning about the environment and science.

Janne was an outgoing lady with a twinkle in her eye and a song in her heart. Her numerous friends are spread far and wide. The only “creatures” she may have loved more were her cats and we all knew that and were not offended. She met the criteria for “Crazy Cat Lady”, loved the title, and wore it well.

She will be taken back to Kansas City to be buried next to her parents, Ephraim and Mary Jane Markey, in the family plot. There will be a Celebration of Life in her memory later this spring in Kansas City (May), where she was born, and Norfolk (March), her last home. At that time, memories of the incredible life she lived and how she left her mark on this world will be shared by those in attendance.

Those whose lives were touched by Janne were blessed to have her and the endless memories of times together.
She will be missed.❤️

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your local ASPCA (https://www.aspca.org/) in Janne’s honor.