Obituary: Janice "Jan" Anne (Kulp) Brown

Janice “Jan” Anne (Kulp) Brown

Janice “Jan” Anne (Kulp) Brown

On the morning of March 1, 2014, Janice "Jan" Anne (Kulp) Brown passed away peacefully of natural causes at her winter home in Bradenton, Fla. She was 74 years old.

Jan was born in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 9, 1939. She was the second child of Lois and James Kulp. She attended Saint Mary of the Springs Academy in Columbus, Ohio, from which she graduated in 1957.

She married Roger Brown on Jan. 17, 1958. They lived in Columbus and various cities in the Midwest, including Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; New Castle and Evansville Ind.; and Plainfield and Arlington Heights, Ill. From 1985 to 1994, they lived in Temple, Texas. In 1995, they retired to Prescott, Ariz., and moved to Durango, Colo., in 2000. They then returned to Prescott in 2006, and in 2011 began dividing their time between Bradenton and Longboat Key, Fla., and Prescott.

Jan was a warm and caring person known for her magnetic personality, beautiful smile and heart for others - especially those who were hurting. She cherished her family; was always there for her friends; and never met a stranger.

She loved to laugh and had a great sense of humor. She was a devoted Christian; a proud grandma and great-grandma; a champion bargain hunter; an avid reader; and a gifted decorator and flower arranger.

She loved flowers and nature, especially the ocean. She would hunt and collect shells and was a world-class snorkeler - able to spot a sea turtle faster than anyone.

Jan was a traveler - some of her favorite locations were the north shore of Kauai, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina - but as much as she loved seeing new places, she also enjoyed exploring her local community, taking time to "smell the roses" in her own backyard.

She loved entertaining friends. Neighbors knew her as a talented (and often victorious) player of cards and other games. She enjoyed musical performances and musical theater. And she loved making a difference for people in need in her community.

She was a strong proponent of helping the homeless and disadvantaged, and recently volunteered with local charitable stores and food programs including Saint Stephen's Community Thrift Store (Bradenton), The Salvation Army (Prescott), Project Open Door (Prescott), and The Highland Center (Prescott).

Jan was preceded in death by her mother and father, James and Lois Kulp. She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Roger Brown; her sons, Hugh and Douglas Brown; her daughter and son-in-law, Leanne and David Retherford; her sister and brother-in-law, Carolyn and Robert Souders; her grandchildren, Landon Brown, Kyrsten, Krisha and Blake Retherford; her great-grandson, Cameron Brown; and her grand-dog, Bruno.

A private celebration of Jan's life for friends and family will be held in Bradenton, Fla. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to Christ Presbyterian Church in Longboat Key, Fla., in support of its food donation ministry: 6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, FL 34228.

Information provided by survivors.


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