Jean Ann Birk

Jean was a loving daughter, sister, and devoted wife. She was 68 years old. Jean’s parents, Lt. Col. (ret) S.A. (Tony) Nowak and Mary Margaret (Fish) Nowak of Florida, NY then Ft. Belvoir, VA where her father retired from the Army Corp of Engineers. Jean has 2 siblings, Kent E. Nowak, and Carol (Nowak) Congdon. Jean graduated from Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Virginia in June of 1973, and attended Virginia Technology Institute (VPI) in Blacksburg, VA for two years. Jean lived in Reston, VA and then moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1991 to pursue her career with MCI until December of 1998 when she and her husband Lawrence (Marty) Martin Birk married on December 11, 1992, and moved to Lake George, CO.

Jean is survived by her husband Marty of 31 years; her father S.A. (Tony) Nowak of Colorado Springs, CO; her brother Kent E. Nowak married to Martha Lynn Saunders in The Villages. FL; Carol N. (Nowak) Congdon married to Richard A. Congdon in Colorado Springs, CO. Jean has two nephews; John A. Nowak married to Jami Porter and resides in Atlanta, GA; and Kyle M. Nowak, married to Lauren Phillip of Bozeman, MT along with two grandnieces, Dorothy Mabel Nowak to John and Jami and Maeve Ellen Nowak to Kyle and Lauren and twin grandnephews, Julian Shepherd Nowak and Hooper Walton Nowak to John and Jami.

Jean was very talented in the arts and was always willing to pursue new adventures. In her early years, Jean was a baton twirler with the Americanetts in Fairfax, Virginia where she won several medals and trophies in competition. She was also a majorette on the Mount Vernon High School baton twirlers team as co-captain of the team.

Jean’s other talents took her into photography, calligraphy, watercolors, charcoal, stamping, floral arranging, quilting and her biggest love of beading exquisite pieces of jewelry.

Jean loved the great outdoors; snow skiing, white water rafting, camping and hiking with her beloved dogs.

Jean’s beautiful smile, spirit and love for people will be greatly missed but will always be remembered. She was a devoted Christian and was an avid participant with her church in Lake George, CO.

Jean will be buried in the Nowak family plot of her parent’s childhood home of Florida, NY. Memorial.

Contributions may be made in Jean 's name by:

Mailing: Alzheimer's Association

The Southern & Central Colorado Region

1520 N. Union Blvd., Suite #103

Colorado Springs, CO 80909

Calling: +1 (303) 813-1669

+1 (800) 272-3900

On-Line: Memorial Donation: www.alz.org

To send a condolence online, please go to www.swan-law.com.