Jan Douglas

My memories of my friend Jan –

I see your beautiful smile…, it is impossible to think of you and not see your face and that gorgeous smile.    Your radiating smile and presence always light up an entire room, leaving it much brighter and warmer.   

I hear your jovial laugh…, that fun-loving laughter that starts deep in the gut, moving through your entire body.  Your laughter was contagious and felt by all.  We all miss hearing your joyful laughter but I know we still feel the warmth of your smile and hear your laughter, as this is just another memory you left us with….thank you for the comforting gift Jan.    

I will forever feel grateful every time I think of you, knowing how blessed that I am to have called you my friend.   You have left us better than you found us.  Your generous heart, positive attitude and gifts of laughter and goodness are cherished in thoughts of you Jan. 

You lived life well, free and offered such joyful friendships.  You had such an incredible loving and generous heart, spirit and were so giving to all who crossed your pass whether it was your thankful friends, loving family, an animal in need or the clerk at the store, bus driver or anyone who met you.  You gave us your all, leaving smiles and joy.   Jan, you will be forever cherished with the warmest memories….thank you friend.

I have always appreciated your honesty and truthful way of communicating.   I admired how incredible authentic you were, comfortable within and how you never sold yourself short for the acceptance or praise of others but lived life with such honesty and unconditional love to all….thank you Jan.

Our friendship is eternal and thank you friend for being you!   I love you Jan.

I ditto what my sister, Janet, says, except I was Jan Marie's FAVORITE cousin:)  I have proof in that the family e-mails that Jan Marie would send, had all my siblings listed by their names, however she would have me listed as "favorite cousin!"  With that, I can also say that we all were special and will sorely miss her.
 
Reverberating on Janet's theme that Jan Marie loved her family, I can also add that she loved, loved, loved life and loved having a good time.  Something that the two of us had in common.  Often times when we had family gatherings, Jan Marie and I would share a room.  Our room was always known as the party room or party central.  Everyone would gather in our room to talk and laugh (okay to drink, too, cuz we all know we likes to drank:)
 
When Jan Marie's mom passed away, two of my sisters and I travelled to Indiana to support Jan Marie as she had supported us when our mom passed.  I vividly recall when Jan Marie saw the three is us, she was overjoyed and came running up to us sighing, "the calvary is here!"  She KNEW that we were there to support her, love her and do whatever we had to do to assist her in what we knew was going to be the most difficult time of her life.  By the end of the day, we were in Jan Marie's room listening to music, putting together a memorial picture board for her mom, folding obituaries, drinking wine and dancing throughout the room.  Even in sorrow, she could have a good time.  After the funeral, as usual, we gathered in Jan Marie's room.  This time we were joined by Jan Marie's Aunt, Uncle and first cousins, who my sisters and I met for the first time.  Her brother, Chipper, was there too, and had just met them for the first time as well.  However, by the end of the night, we were all laughing, telling jokes and having a good time as if we had known each other for years and years.  It was only because of the love of Jan Marie that this was true.  She was the glue that kept us all together and in touch.
 
I am certain the one theme you will see from all, is that Jan Marie Douglas enjoyed her life to the fullest.  She was very boisterous, was funny, loved to laugh, loved her family and friends, was a good friend and had good friends, was very giving and had a heart that was as wide open and accepting as the heavens.  She will be sorely missed by us all, however her light will shine indefinitely in this universe.

May God Bless You,
Brenda, Jan Marie's FAVORITE cousin, Smith

I am Jan Douglas' 1st cousin on her fathers side. Her Dad and my Mom were brother & sister.

Jan was such a wonderful person full of life and had a sense of family! She would always be at any family event on our side (mom's) just so she could "hang out with her cousins, nieces & nephews" She was more like a sister to me than a cousin. I will miss her laughter, goodwill to ALL persons, and just her great nature with everyone and anything around. Those who know Jan even for a short time couldn't help but to fall in love with her.

God sends us angel's ever so often and Jan was that angel! She wasn't a complainer, she was a doer, if she gave you her word on something, it was golden, done, nothing more needed to be said. She was the sunshine and rainbow during cloudy days, always positive and with a sense of genuine love and caring for those not always able to see beyond the moment. She taught us to love unconditionally, not just to those with family ties but those less fortunate than ourselves.

My family and I are have been and will continue to be truly blessed by having Jan's loving arms around us throughout the years. I know that she is "partying" with our ancestors who have preceded us to heaven. I will never forget the good times in Albuquerque, Kansas City Mo, Detroit MI, Maryland/Wash D.C. and countless other venues where Jan made the trip from Seattle just to be with her cousins! Boy, were they good times!

Her presence will surely be missed but her memory will last an eternity and I look forward to the day that I can hug her & receive a hug back! I love you Jan Marie.........I love you!

Your Cuz,

Mark Smith

My name is Janet Banks and I am the first cousin of Jan Marie. Jan’s father and my mother were brother and sister. My mom passed away 6 years ago. Jan and her family grew up in California and my family (there is 6 girls and 1 boy) grew up in Detroit, Michigan. We never had an opportunity to get to know Jan Marie or her siblings until 1997 when our grandmother passed away. Jan called from Seattle and ask if she could share a hotel room with us in Kansas City where my Grandmother lived and we were all there for the funeral. I told her if she didn’t mind sharing a room with 5 other girls (all cousins), then neither did we! We all bonded very quickly over that short period of time. Jan made a vow before we left that we were going to have a family reunion the very next year! Well, true to her word, Jan Marie, my sister Brenda (who lives in Bahamas) and me planned the first of MANY Douglas – Settles Family Reunions! We loved Jan more like a sister than a cousin. She was at EVERY family function we ever had. My son graduated from high school in 2002 in Albuquerque, NM and Jan Marie was there! My sister Brenda had a 40^th birthday cruise to the Caribbean and Jan Marie was there! When my Mom passed away in 2004, we had her funeral in Detroit and Jan Marie was there! I threw my husband a surprise 50^th birthday party in November 2009 in Albuquerque, NM and Jan Marie was there! So I hope you get the theme that’s happening here. Jan Marie loved family and we were ALL very important to her. If something was going on in our lives she was there for all of us! Jan Marie loved to laugh, she loved  a good party and made friends wherever she went! There are a lot of friends of our family who met Jan Marie who are saddened by our great lost! I have gotten phone calls, sympathy cards and emails from my friends telling me how sad they are. Jan touched so many lives and she truly was the “bridge” that brought the families together.

Oh – I just remembered something else…..Jan Marie loved that my sisters and I use to fight over who was her FAVORITE cousin! Jan Marie would just smile and say “you ALL are my favorite”. But I know in my heart, I really was her favorite! J