1935-2021
Jan Kirby of Rockville, Md., passed away at home on July 8 at the age of 86. A native of New York City, Jan lived in the Washington area for more than 50 years.
Jan was predeceased by her son Brent and sister Carol Schwarzman. She is survived by her sons Bruce and Paul; daughters-in-law Evi Kirby, Caron Carlson, and Tammy Loukota; granddaughters Megan and Kaitlyn; grandson Benjamin; Dan Loukota and Yared Adal, whom she loved as sons; sister Sandy and brother-in-law Elliot Zavilowitz; and beloved niece and nephews.
Jan loved to talk about the accomplishments of her grandchildren and considered herself blessed to have three wonderful, caring daughters-in-law.
Jan was a forceful presence who treasured her family and friends. She held strong opinions, was a card-carrying Yellow Dog Democrat who loved to debate politics and follow the machinations of Washington and devoured books.
And could she cook – especially anything Italian; her mom was born in Sicily. Her family, friends and even strangers marveled at her lasagna, meatballs, beef Braciole, and ribbon cookies, among other delicacies. She loved hosting big dinners with family and friends crowded around her table and food enough to feed three times as many.
Jan also was a lifelong champion for social justice and marched in early civil rights protests.
When her children were still young, she returned to school, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees. For decades, she was a social worker for the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, where she helped protect children from sexual abuse and prevent substance abuse among youth.
She was a mentor and a role model, profoundly loyal to those she cared about. As one long-time friend said, “If you were lucky enough to be part of her life and her friend, your life became rewarded with richness.”
For more than a decade in retirement, Jan volunteered at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women, teaching a class on emotional awareness. She affectionally referred to her students as her “bad girls.” She loved them and they loved her.
Jan lived her life boldly, compassionately and without regret, leaving us peacefully surrounded by her loving family. She will be greatly missed.
A funeral will be held Saturday, July 17, at the Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home, 11800 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, Md., 20904. A viewing is at 9:30 a.m. with the service at 10:30 a.m. Burial will be at noon at Parklawn Memorial Park and Menorah Gardens, 12800 Veirs Mill Rd., Rockville, Md., 20853.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Montgomery Hospice (https://montgomeryhospice.org/) or Heifer International (https://www.heifer.org).
