Donald R. Janes M.D.

Don Janes died exactly how he always said he wanted to: peacefully in his sleep, on Thursday, April 16, 2020; a passing that symbolized how he lived his life, intentionally.

He was born Donald Reed Janes on February 21, 1934 in Manhattan, Kansas to his devoted parents, William and Mary. Mary wanted him to have a man’s name with a boy’s spirit inside, so he became known as Donnie or Don. Despite his distinctive hair color, he would never be known as Red. In fact, if someone called asking for Red, Mary would make sure to set them straight with a quick-witted response, “There’s no one here by that name.”

Don’s love for Kansas, for learning, and for giving back was cultivated early. He became the youngest Eagle Scout in Manhattan at the time; he enjoyed singing at church and alongside the piano at home; and he was a curious student of state history, which would later become the basis for his infamous “pop quizzes” with his own children.

Don graduated from Manhattan High School in 1952 and went on to earn his bachelor’s in chemistry from Kansas State University in 1956. While at K-State, he formed lifelong bonds with his fellow Sigma Chi chapter members, who recognized Don with the Blue Key Award, and with the young men who formed the Sigma Chi barbershop quartet. The foursome performed across Kansas and would maintain a close friendship for more than 50 years, bringing future generations together for summertime reunions to celebrate their love of laughter and song.

“Doc Janes”, as he would become known to many in adulthood, recognized early on that he wanted to be a physician. After K-State, he became a student at University of Kansas School of Medicine. After graduating from KU Med, Don served in the U.S. Air Force in Amarillo, Texas. And upon reentering civilian life, he and his wife, Judy, moved to Rochester, Minnesota, where Don fulfilled his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Mayo Clinic. Don then joined a medical practice in Wausau, Wisconsin, before moving back to his beloved Kansas. Don’s medical career blossomed in Kansas City. He moved from group practice to start an OB-GYN practice of his own. Later, he became a founding staff member at the Suburban Medical Center in Overland Park, Kansas. His love of learning transitioned into a love of

teaching, leading Don to form a relationship with UMKC’s School of Medicine. In the early 1970s, he helped UMKC develop the “Female Medicine Department”, as it was known at the time. Doc Janes also became one of the early educators in UMKC’s innovative 6-year medical program.

Don’s later career took him back to his small town roots. After 20 years in private practice, he and his second wife, Patty, moved to Garnett, Kansas, where he was a staff physician at Anderson County Hospital. Wherever Don lived, he became part of the community. In Garnett, that meant accepting pigs as payment for medical help. And as a member of the Garnett Rotary Club, it meant getting a pedestrian crossing light installed on US 59 to allow Garnett’s residents, many of whom were elderly, to safely cross the highway to the hospital. To his family, co-workers and community, Don freely shared his quirky sense of humor and friendly nature. He was fearless in striking up a conversation with anyone, often in public places with embarrassing starts (or at least that’s how it often felt to his teenage children). And he was intentionally present, listening with genuine interest to what that person had to say.

Don wasn’t a man of many hobbies. Work and family were his focus, though he did love solving the New York Times crossword puzzle every Sunday. And then there was the ever-present Kansas trivia. He fully expected all six of his children, as well as their suitors and dates, to be able to answer the impromptu question, "When did Kansas become a state?"

Being a lifelong learner and a proponent of education, Don was proud that his parents and grandparents were all college graduates. This pride was never clearer that when he spoke of his grandmother, Amy Irene Elizabeth Reed, who was the first woman to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. For each of his children, it was not a question of IF they would go to college, but WHERE. Because Don had bold Wildcat and Jayhawk blood running through his veins, the answer for all six turned out to involve either Purple & White or Crimson & Blue.

After being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2011, Don kept those around him laughing with his unusual sense of humor and cherished the time with his growing family. He is survived by his wife, Patricia (Yax) Janes; former spouse, Judith (Koppers) Janes; six children, Brian Janes (Gay Kahler), Emily Janes, Matthew Janes (Thu Janes), Alison Kahler (Mark Kahler), Amy Heidersbach, (Michael Barr), Annie Heidersbach-Flurry (Ryan Flurry); eleven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and a sister Helen Janes. He was preceded in death by granddaughter, Laura Travis, and great granddaughter, Nora Travis.

Don, like all he loved and all who loved him, was not a perfect human being. Rather than focus on his limitations, he tried to “keep moving”. He told his children and grandchildren often that the most important things in life are to make a difference and to give back. His family hopes that all who knew him will continue that legacy.

A celebration of life will be scheduled at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the University of Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Center, http://www.kualzheimer.org/.