Theodore Andrew Janson

December 13, 1946 - March 4, 2023

Theodore Andrew Janson, 76, of Kapaau, Hawai'i passed away on March 4, 2023 in Kohala. He was born on December 14, 1946, in South River, New Jersey. Theodore was a long time North Kohala resident, an internationally well-known and respected painter, and a passionate musician and social activist, he was 76 years old. His impressionist paintings include the "Portrait and a Cup of Coffee” series of over 600 sunlit portraits created at the Hawi Coffee Mill, thousands of local Waimea and Kohala landscapes such as “Earl Baakam’s Country House" which can be seen at the North Kohala Community Hospital. Abstract/grafitti style work includes the “Goongala”, “Feed the Children”, “Flowers of Fatima”, and “Waterworld” series. His paintings hang in the permanent collection of the Palace of Peter the Great in St. Petersburg, Russia, the Provincetown Art Association and Art Museum on Cape Cod where Jan studied with American Impressionist Henry Hensche. As an Americana and rock singer song-writer, Cowboy Van Gogh, he wrote, sang, and played guitar on hundreds of works such as, “Email from Jesus”, which are played on KNKR radio in Hawi, also, weekly for fifteen years, on station WERU in Blue Hill, Maine with DJ Denis Howard, and on Spotify. He sang an original song, “Hawaiian Counting Song: at a Clyde “Kindy" Sproat Hawaiian Falsetto Contest. Recently, he performed songs live for all callers to his home phone from the “Peace Desk”. The family invites you to attend a Mass for Ted on Saturday June 24th at the Sacred Heart Parish in Hawi. Visitation and fellowship will be held at 9:00. The service will be at 10:00. Thank you for wearing casual, Hawaiian, or dressy clothes, but not beachwear. At noon that day, walking distance from the church, there will be a potluck from noon until 2:00 at the Kohala Village HUB Barn.

He is survived by spouse, Rebecca Jankowski; Son, Tito Jankowski (Shova Ale Magar) of San Mateo, CA; twin sister, Theodora Janson of Owen Sound, Canada (daughter Lilly): brother, and Jonathan Janson (Giovanna) of Rome, Italy (two sons, Giuliano and Giacomo.)