Janis Lee Linstromberg

Janis Lee Linstromberg, age 77, passed away peacefully at her home in Columbia, Maryland on October 7, 2023 surrounded by her family. Jan was born in Jacksonville, Illinois on November 27, 1945, to the late Leroy and Maxine Linstromberg. She is survived by her loving husband of 48 years, Nemo Lionikis, and by her son Michael Alexander Lionikis (Alex). She is also survived by her brother, Thomas, of Jacksonville, Illinois, and numerous nieces and nephews.

The love of Jan’s life, besides her family, was teaching. Upon graduating from the University of Illinois, she became a high school teacher in Chicago, eventually going into teaching English as a Second Language, ESL. She worked in a Model Cities ESL program with over 500 students at Senn High School, in Chicago, eventually becoming chairman of the department there for a time. When Nemo took a job in Maryland, Jan was hired as a teacher in the Prince George’s County adult evening ESL program and eventually became the head of that program. When Alex was born, Jan took a break from teaching to be a stay-at-home Mom and, when he joined the Cub Scouts, served as the Den Mother of his Cub Scout troop. When Alex was older, Jan returned to teaching ESL, this time to adults at Howard Community College, where she stayed until the pandemic closed schools and she retired. During the years she was teaching, Jan also ran clothing drives, both in Chicago and in Maryland, gathering clothes that were then passed on to her students and their families.

In addition to her family and teaching, Jan had multiple interests. She loved cats and throughout her life, she had several that she adored. She loved walking the trails in Columbia, which she did almost daily. In addition, she enjoyed reading mysteries, watching true crime dramas, and she was an avid worker of crossword puzzles.

Jan loved traveling, especially to countries rich in antiquities. She and Nemo honeymooned in Mexico visiting Aztec and Mayan ruins. In the years before the pandemic suspended travel, they had visited Turkey and several countries in Europe to see ancient and medieval sites and had planned a trip to Egypt for late this year.

Visitation will be Friday, Nov. 3, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Witzke’s Funeral Home, 5555 Twin Knolls Road, Columbia, MD. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Nov. 4, at 11:00 AM at St. Matthews Orthodox Church, 7271 Eden Brook Drive, Columbia, MD.

Please consider donations in Jan’s name to The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som/giving

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.witzkefuneralhomes.com for the Linstromberg family.