For our forty-fourth Anniversary (2011) I created this video….
Jan…age 74, passed away peacefully on December 12, 2018 at Wayne T. Patrick Hospice House in Rock Hill, South Carolina, after a brief but fierce battle against cancer.
Her beautiful life and spirit will forever be cherished by her husband, David Smith and two daughters, Amy Ely and Erin Hockett; her mother, Jeane Jarrett; brother, Jimmy Jarrett; sister, Jennifer Jarrett; son-in-law, Dan Hockett of Charlotte, North Carolina; sister-in-law, Connie Jarrett; and five grandchildren,Jarrett Ely, Keira Ely and Reed Ely of Atlanta, Georgia and Grace Hockett and David Hockett of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Jan was born on November 15, 1944, in Cuthbert, Georgia to James “Jim” and Jeane (McCauley) Jarrett. In 1962, she graduated from Albany High School, and in 1966, she graduated from The University of Georgia where she studied Fine Arts. Jan met her sweetheart, David Smith, in Atlanta shortly after graduation from college. Jan and David were united in holy matrimony on August 19, 1967, celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary this year. In their early years of marriage, they explored the west, seeing many of the natural wonders of this country, inspiring love, photography, art and adventure. She was blessed with the birth of her two daughters, in 1973 and 1974, and put her heart and soul into being their mother. There were many years of blazing roads less traveled and lots of fun and adventure, retirement bringing the luxury of a slower pace at which to explore. During the summer of 2017, Jan, David, Amy, Erin and families, celebrated their 50 years of marriage with a commemorative trip to Montana, God’s Country.
A talented artist by passion, training and profession, Jan started her career as a young painter selling her works, mostly oils on canvas, lithographs and acrylics. After many years and two daughters later, she decided to share her love of art by teaching, and was a beloved teacher of art, painting, drawing, ceramics and photography at Leesburg High School for over 20 years. Kids and peers adored her for her talents, openness, warm heart, feisty nature, and sense of humor. Throughout her career, but particularly in retirement, she loved painting for friends and family, and was prolific in watercolors during that time. She explored any and all medium, and often shared impromptu lessons and art time with her grandchildren. Her home, her fashion sense and her gardens were always a reflection of her colorful, free-spirited and imaginative aesthetic.
Throughout her life, she was known to be an artist, a traveler, an explorer, an avid snow skier, hiker and lover of nature, golfer, creator, and family person. She lived life to the fullest, with a genuine love for her family and friends. To know Jan was to love Jan. She had a way with people, of all ages. She has been described as an angel, a saint, and a fighter. She was authentic, salt of the Earth, strong, brave, resilient, kind, warm, tender-hearted, sweet, silly, free-spirited, wise, dedicated, loyal, feisty and honest. She brought so much joy and laughter to those who knew her. Her husband and two daughters received her greatest devotions, her selfless and giving spirit boundless at every turn. She was an extremely spiritual and faithful person, and was a devoted member of Saint James Episcopal Church in Leesburg Florida, volunteering her heart, her time and her talents for decades.
Her spirit lives on in all of us. Her presence is abundant everywhere we turn. We will miss her dearly, but know that in time, we will join her again in God’s heavenly kingdom.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Saint James Episcopal Church in Leesburg, Florida on January 5, 2019, at 11:00am in her honor. Immediately following the service, in the Saint James Parish Hall, there will be a reception to commemorate Jan’s paintings and her life, with refreshments and time to greet family.
In lieu of flowers, memorials and donations may be made to Wayne T. Patrick Hospice House at Hospice and Community Care: https://hospicecommunitycare.org/give-back/ or mail to Hospice and Community Care, PO Box 993, Rock Hill, South Carolina, 29731.
The above tribute was composed and written by Amy Smith Ely…
I hope to capture the essence of Jan and her life in this video…
The Celts believed in ‘Thin Places’, where physics would say the fabric of ‘Time and Space’ can be breached…So maybe the ‘Parting’ is not such a distance after all…
I add this on March 14, 2020…
Tragedy strikes us all. I was reminded of that today.
Then I thought of Jan as this play on my computer. I asked Jan when she knew she was dying what she thought heaven would be like? “Scotland,” I asked since we both loved Scotland. To my surprise she said, “No Montana.”
Scotland makes me think of her…This is POWERFUL!