Janet B. Hedrick

Of Palatine

Jan led an incredible life with many peaks and valleys, it was an amazing journey filled with many challenges and many joys!

About 15 years ago Jan would break her femur while walking her dog. We knew this wasn’t normal. She was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. She would wind up breaking each leg twice. She was told she would never walk again. She wouldn’t accept that and found the medical help she needed and after months of determination and rehab she could eventually walk without assistance She had a handicap placard for the car but would only use it if it snowed. She resumed her visits with customers.

Jan started at Richard’s Medical in 1974 while in high school. The ownership at Richard’s was very accommodating of students and both her and her brother, Tom, commuted and worked their way through college. Jan would become a CPA and did tax returns during tax season. Her background was accounting but being in a small company, all wear many hats here. She had a knack and a love of meeting with customers. It was never totally about business for her, she just enjoyed people.

The past two years have been especially rough for Jan as she would break bones in her back several times. She could no longer travel but was mostly working from home. She would still contact the customers she knew and would give me an almost daily laundry list of people who need this or that sent or customers to visit. She enjoyed the challenge. For the past 2 years, Jan was in constant pain and would still find time to be friendly and smile. Her last hospitalization found her with more broken bones. She would spend 2 months in the hospital and nursing home. After her release, I moved in with her to provide more care. When times were bad, I would simply move in for as long as it took. After about a week I was sent home as she had made significant progress again.

She had more lives than a cat! What nobody saw coming was COVID! She developed a fever that didn’t go away. She first thought it was a sinus headache. It just wouldn’t go away. She called an ambulance as she was having trouble breathing. She was eventually put on a ventilator, had a heart attack, and the decision was made to let her go. Her family members know Jan would find joy in the fact that cancer could not defeat her. Unfortunately, COVID did.

Jan was single, and her family is really small, there has been a lot to do in a very short time. There are just too many people to contact in too short of time. Jan would want everyone to know about Multiple Myeloma and her struggles, not for pity, but she occasionally found others and tried to help them along with changing the attitudes, making the right medical connections, and helping console in any way she could. Together Jan and Tom hosted golf fundraisers for multiple myeloma, and she was able to golf at each event.

Her family could not be prouder of my Jan and all the obstacles she overcame in life. They know she would love to thank all those that helped her. It was an incredible journey filled with INCREDIBLE highs and lows. Jan may not leave behind children, but she leaves behind incredible friends, neighbors, customers. and business associates and clients. She will miss you all!

Jan is probably celebrating that cancer did NOT take her. She tried so hard to defeat cancer only to have it continue to come back. In the end, COVID took her and her family honestly thinks Jan finds humor in that.

Jan is survived by her mother Joan Clare Hedrick; her siblings, Thomas (Dawn), and Patricia Hedrick; her nieces, Katie (Late James) Stack, and Joanne Savage; and her aunt, Sr. Joan Clare Wisner.

She was preceded in death by Father, Joseph Francis Hedrick.

Visitation from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm, Monday, October 4, 2021, at the Glueckert Funeral Home Ltd., 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Tuesday, October 5, 2021, from 9:00 am until time of Funeral Mass at 10:00 am at St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic Church, 1201 East Anderson Drive, Palatine, Ill. Burial following at All Saints.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Northwestern University Myeloma Research, Chicago, IL note "Seema Singhal MD" on the memo line.

Funeral Information and condolences can be given at www.GlueckertFuneralHome.com or (847) 253-0168.