Ms. Janet Allan

Celebration of Life, Wednesday, October 27th, 2:00pm.

The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club

3811 Point Grey Rd.

Vancouver, B.C.

V6R1B3

R.S.V.P. [email protected] (masks and vaccination passports required)

Janet Allan passed away early Thursday Sept. 30th at the extraordinary age of 104! She was a lively and generous person with a great curiosity about life, her family, learning and culture. She especially loved history, music, literature and art and passed on those interests to her children and grandchildren. She herself was a lifelong learner taking courses into her nineties. Janet was a fun person to be with. Her contagious laughter would fill the room. She could also be very insightful honest and kind. She had several nicknames, “Skinny,” “Speedball” “Big Jan” and more recently “the Queen.”

Janet was born in Spokane, Wa.July 5, 1917 and was educated at the Baldwin school in Bryn Mawr, Pa. and at Smith College in Massachusetts. She graduated at twenty two as Hitler’s troops were marching into Paris. She met her first husband, Dr. Peter Spohn of Vancouver, on a trail ride near Banff during the war while he was on leave. After the war and Peter’s medical studies were complete, they settled in Vancouver to raise three children. During those growing up years and beyond, the family greatly spent summers on Pasley Island where they enjoyed the company of many wonderful friends.

Janet tragically lost her first husband Peter in May 1960 and her eldest daughter Margot in Dec. 1961. She courageously pulled herself and her family together. Taking long walks and staying busy was her best medicine. She received her teaching degree and taught at Burnaby High School for two years. She also deepened her Christian faith and pursued her many interests to keep her mind occupied. Four years later she married her second husband Bruce Allan. They were married for 36 years and shared many happy experiences together. During this time she was an active member of Brock House, the Vancouver Symphony, the Van Dusen Gardens and the University Women’s Club. She also assisted young readers at the local elementary school

Janet’s last years were spent at the Tapestry Okeefe and Amica Lion’s Gate. After her centenary she gradually became blind and lost the ability to take walks. Nonetheless, she maintained her love of music and poetry to the very end and engaged with all her caregivers and children. Her courage and determination to keep on living fully has left a legacy of courage, wisdom and strength .

Janet is survived by her daughter Nancy (Spohn) Argue and son-in-law Gord Argue, and her son Peter Spohn and daughter-in-law, Nan Goodship, her four grandchildren Darcy and Nick Argue and Nathaniel and Ruth Spohn and her great grandchildren Kennedy and Hunter Argue and stepson, Bruce Allan in New Mexico. Janet’s second husband Oscar Bruce Allan predeceased her in 2001.