Jan Bradbury Lips

Jan B. Lips, a dedicated public servant, avid traveler, and beloved wife, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully at the Royal Oaks Continuing Care Retirement Community in Sun City, AZ, January 29, 2025. She was 83 years old.

Born on April 23, 1941, in Hazelton, PA, Jan was the daughter of Robert E. Jones and Rowena (Bradbury) Jones. She grew up in the Hazelton area, where she graduated from Hazelton High School before earning her degree from Bucknell University. In 1965, she married George Woodring, with whom she later divorced. In 1988, she married Orville "Orv" Lips, beginning a partnership that spanned 36 years.

Jan’s life was characterized by her passion for helping others. Her journey of service began with the Peace Corps, where she worked in Puerto Rico, and continued throughout her career in various public service associations. In the early 1980s, Jan joined the American Psychological Association (APA) in Washington, D.C., where she worked in the Education Division, writing guidelines for graduate studies in psychology education. It was during this time that she met Orv, a psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Their shared work on issues related to VA psychologists blossomed into a personal connection, leading to their marriage on Halloween night in 1988.

Jan and Orv shared a love for travel, taking countless trips across the United States. From the Oregon Coast to the rocky shores of Maine, their adventures spanned the entire country, visiting family and friends along the way. They journeyed through three RVs and two trucks, never tiring of life “on the road again.” Along with their love for exploration, Jan was an avid reader, consuming books on a wide range of topics. She also had a talent for knitting, creating sweaters for Orv, even though the Arizona heat often made them obsolete. Her creativity extended to quilting, where she was a talented and enthusiastic member of the quilting community in Sun City, AZ. Many of her quilts were donated to charity or gifted to loved ones.

Jan and Orv’s adventures led them to settle in various places over the years, from Waukegan, IL, where Jan worked as a technical writer for Abbott Laboratories, to Bayfield, CO, where they embraced the beauty of the mountains. Following health challenges, they moved to Fallon, NV, and later to their final home in Sun City, AZ. In 2024, they moved to the Royal Oaks Continuing Care Retirement Community, where Jan made many new friends and enjoyed the support of a close-knit community.

In addition to her husband, Jan is survived by her two sisters, Karen and Sandy, and her brother, Bobby, as well as her sister-in-law, Chris. She also leaves behind her three stepsons, Scott (Holly), Adam (Carol), and Erik (Kelley), and a step-granddaughter, Anna. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Jan’s memory will live on in the hearts of her family, friends, and the many lives she touched through her work and acts of kindness. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Sun Valley Animal Shelter or the Valley View Food Bank in Sun City, AZ.

A memorial gathering of family and friends will be held at a later date.