Jeanette ""Jan A. Mihelich

Jeanette (Jan) A. Mihelich passed away on 5/17/16 at Poudre Valley Hospital after a brief 2-week illness. Jan was born on June 20, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois. She was raised in the Indianapolis area, the oldest of 3 children born to Wesley and Esther Van Osdol. Her father was an optometrist who worked hard to provide for his family during the difficult years of the Great Depression. She graduated from Hanover College in Indiana in 1945 and went to graduate school in University at Illinois in Champaign Urbana pursuing a graduate degree in Physics. It was there that she met her future husband John who was also in graduate school pursuing his PhD in physics. They married on December 22, 1946 after a 6-month courtship and 3 years later were blessed with the birth of their first child, their son John William (Bill). They moved to New York where John completed post graduate work, and where their 2 daughters were born Kathryn (Kathy) and Peggy. They moved to South Bend, Indiana in 1954 to raise their 3 children and where John was a physics professor for 30 years. Jan had a teaching degree and for several years was a substitute teacher and taught children who were home bound due to physical illnesses. She also taught in the physics lab at IUSB for 8 years. She enjoyed her part time career while also being home to raise her children. She was a very active volunteer all her life, involved in a number of charitable and philanthropic organizations; AAUW, Alpha Delta Pi, PanHellenic Association, DAR, Ladies of Notre Dame, League of Women Voters, to name a few. She was involved in volunteering for Memorial Hospital in South Bend. She was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of South Bend for many years. Jan enjoyed being active and was a “take charge” type of person, often leading or chairing the activities in these various groups. She generously gave money to many worthy causes, usually those associated with women and children in Third World countries and to causes associated with animal rescue and the environment. She and her husband John shared many of the same interests; they loved to travel and over the years traveled to Greece, China, Yugoslavia, Russia and enjoyed camping in their motor home. They shared a love of opera and classical music and attended the symphony in South Bend for many years and were active volunteers for the symphony. They enjoyed going to the music events at Notre Dame on a regular basis. Jan and John left the South Bend community in 2012 to move to Fort Collins to be closer to their daughters. They moved into a cottage at Rigden Farms and immediately became very involved in the daily activities and community life there, exercising 4-5 times a week, attending history lectures, and making many friends. She was “Resident of the Month” at Rigden Farms in October, 2014. They found their church “home” in the Christ United Methodist Church. Jan is survived by her husband of 69 years John Mihelich, her son, John William, Jr. (Vicki) of Surprise, AZ; her daughter, Kathryn Mihelich-Helms (John Helms) of Fort Collins, CO; her daughter, Peggy Mihelich (Eric Bostwick) of Lakewood, CO. She loved her family and cherished her children, grandchildren: Tracy (Todd) Geer, Erin (Dave) Eggers, Emily (Tony) Marvel; David (Gina) Helms, Jason (Corie) Helms, Jeffrey (Trisha) Helms; Emily Bostwick-White (Jesse White), Molly (Nick) Zamucen; and 12 great grandchildren. Jan was a feisty, independent, active, loving, opinionated, and kindhearted person who valued intelligence and strong ethics and who had a sharp and witty sense of humor to her last days. She will be greatly missed by her family and by many friends who loved her.

The family would like to extend their thanks to the wonderful nursing staff on the Cardiac Unit at PVH, particularly to the nurses who provided the direct care; Amy, Janie and Dani, and also to LisaBeth and Stefan of the Palliative Care team.

There will be a service at Christ United Methodist Church at 1 pm Saturday, May 21st, with a reception immediately following in the church reception area. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association or the Arbor Day Foundation.