Jan's house was my safe space in Show Low. The one place I felt accepted for me and did not get judged. I am sad that I did not visit much after I moved to the valley, but I will always remember the safe harbor she provided me in my times of need. I was welcomed as a member of the family, even if the rest of the family was not home.

I may have even rinsed the dishes a few times. And I am sad that I did not share this after her passing.

Jan helped me survive the town, just by being Jan.

Jan, I miss your familiar motherly voice on a random Saturday call to ask about your son. Thanks for bringing the friendships with your big family. 

To Jan's children and   grandchildren.  Your pain is deep...it all seems unreal.  Cry a lot!  Jan left a big hole in your lives..in your hearts.  Through this grief process you will learn things about Jan you may have never known. Through remembering Jan, and sharing with each other, you may find some comfort thru a deeper understanding of your Jan.  I find that I understand a lot more about my Dad, who died in 2017, than I did when he was alive. The sting if losing him had to happen in order to more fully understand who he was and his life course. Now, I feel I more fully understand myself. 

I hope you each find comfort in each other and yourselves. Everything has changed in your lives. Be tender with yourselves and each other. Telling and hearing stories about Jan will bring you comfort and happiness!  Love to each of you, Beth

Barbara Goldman picked up a hitchhiker named Jan Ross! Jan came to our house at 1644 W Roller Coaster Rd in Tucson.  Jan slept in the livingroom.  We had folks sleeping on our floors often! Bram and Barbara were very politically involved and Bram was the Director of ACLU Southern Arizona Chapter.  That first morning my Mom was really angry because Jan had left candles burning all night and there was wax melted everywhere! Jan helped to clean up and over the years we had lots of contact with Jan. She introduced us (Goldman clan) to her husband Larry Ross, a boyfriend named TC who made pottery in Taos, NM, a friend named Burt Carter... and on and on.  Our friendship continued over the decades. Jan was a fierce independent woman, filled with generosity and curiosity. She loved her kids so much, and grandkids. I miss her, yet I'm glad she's out of the discomfort she was in.  Love you Jan!

Our family has donated $100 to The Sierra Club. What a beautiful and thoughtful way to honor Jan. Our thoughts and prayers are with your whole family at this difficult time.  

I have very fond memories of Jan. Though we were in the same high school graduating class, we didn't really meet until three years after graduating. We then became close friends. I remember us sitting on the sofa enjoying the music of Ornette Coleman Live at the Golden Circle Club, and John Coltrane's Impressions. I left Tucson for California in the summer of 1967 and we lost touch.

Jan and I crossed paths again in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco watching the Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company put on a live performance from the back of a flatbed truck. It was a memorial service for Chocolate George, a member of the Hell's Angeles who had the reputation of a "friendly" member of the gang, known for his favorite drink, chocolate milk. (A small bit of concert film can be found on the Web. Search for chocolate george funeral.) We  didn't have time to talk much since Jan was with friends in San Francisco.

The last time we unexpectedly saw one another was at the 40th reunion of the Salpointe Class of 1963. I was there with my wife and we danced and had  time for a quick chat. Jan said that she had moved to Show Low and that she had been to some of the Rainbow People gatherings. She still had that wonderful smile and seemed to be enjoying life. Jan was someone very special, who gave out good vibes everywhere she went. I'm sad that she's gone.