Jan "MiMi" Downey

Jan was born on February 22, 1941, in Hudson, New York, to Louis and Alice Nawrocky. Growing up in a military family she spent her childhood years in New York, Germany and Arlington, VA. Jan first met the love of her life, Charles Russell Downey, at the young age of six. Russ and Jan crossed paths again in high school and became high school sweethearts. They were married in Washington, D.C., on January 26, 1965. They started their family in West Point, NY, before moving to Waco and finally settling in Austin, in 1972.

Jan graduated from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY, in 1963. After graduation she became a teacher and taught Junior High in the D.C., area and Junior College in Texas. Jan and Russ were foster parents for 35 years fostering close to 200 children. She was a member of St. Catherine’s Catholic Church where she was active in the Crafty Ladies and Onion Creek Senior Center, where she was a member of the Buda Bees Quilting Club. She was also a member of the Red Hat Society.

Survivors include her husband, Russ, two children, Christine Rhynehart and husband, Chad, of Amarillo, TX, and Russell Downey and wife, Lori, of Richardson, TX, and seven grandchildren, Kelsey, Carly, Clay, Aaron, Ryan, Sarah and Jordan.

A Visitation will be held, Friday, December 29, 2017, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M., at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home. Funeral Service will be held, Saturday, December 30, 2017, at 10:00 A.M., in the Chapel of Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home. A private Graveside Service will be held at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery at a later time.

Memorials can be made to Onion Creek Senior Center, 420 Barton Crossing, Buda, TX 78610 or American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478 Oklahoma City, OK 73123.