Jan

Janice A. Park

Formerly of Nichols

December 11, 1929 – October 31, 2022

On December 11, 1929 a baby girl was born to Carl and Gladys Wood in Sayre, PA and she was named Janice. A few years later she was joined by a brother Charles. You can't always talk to your brother so she turned to her grandmother when she needed help and advice. At age 12 her grandmother suggested she take a job at a local medical facility working with sick and elderly patients. Jan attended school in Athens Pa and following graduation in 1947 she worked for several businesses including the local 5&10, a local Tax office and the Sears & Roebuck Store. She found she had great compassion for the people she worked with and enjoyed making their lives a great deal better. Although, what she really wanted to do was

work with plants. Her grandfather had a large vegetable garden and she loved sitting in the straw eating veggies. Together, they would travel the country roads selling their crops.

On August 15, 1948, she met and married "the best guy around” Rodge Park and together they settled down in Nichols, NY to raise a family. On a camping trip to the St. Lawrence, she and Roger stopped at a roadside market and there it

was-----a beautiful large garden and Jan turned to Rodge and said "that is what I want to do". Their family became complete in 1950 when their daughter, Kathy, was born. Around 1957, with land given to them by Rodge's mom and dad, he and Jan built a house and several greenhouses, it was a dream come true and with hard work they owned and operated those

greenhouses for 28 years. In 1984, they decided to sell and began travelling.

During those years Kathy married Dennis Wilson and gave Rodge and Jan two lovely granddaughters Dawn and Tricia and in turn Dawn and Tricia added two wonderful sons-in law Curtis and Mike and soon there were four great grandchildren to be loved ~ Craig and Sarah Salzman, Danielle and Eric Jewson. Jan and Rodge treasured the time spent with family and always looked forward to attending sporting events, recitals, and going on multi family camping trips.

During retirement, Rodge and Jan traveled in their motor home to every state in the continental US and much of Canada. However,  on their 34th  anniversary in 1984 they started traveling to Florida. It started off with short visits,

then 3 months and then 6 months. They eventually settled in LaBelle and made great friends and fabulous memories. In 2021, Jan's beloved husband of 62 years passed away. Jan moved then back to Sayre, Pa the area where she grew up. At the new locations she made many new friends and was close to the old friends. Down south Jan stayed in LeBelle even when Kathy and Dennis retired to Eagle Point, but in 2017 she moved to Eagle Point to be near them. Jan did regret leaving her

life in LaBelle and often stayed in touch with her friends of 30 years. Jan loved her new community and made many friends. She enjoyed playing cards, dominos, Pokeno and rides and walks around the parks.

A talented and wonderful painter, Jan shared her love of painting with Kathy and the grandchildren. Jan loved gardening, painting, shelling, reading and going to the beach. She would want her legacy and words of wisdom to those she loved to be ~ stay close to your family, have faith, keep busy, enjoy your friends, enjoy the beauty of the outdoors and love and respect one another.

A period of visitation and time of remembering the special gift Jan was to all of us will be held on Saturday, November 5th from 1 to 2 pm at the Sutfin Funeral  Chapel, 273 S. Main St., Nichols. A funeral service will follow at 2 pm. Jan will be laid to rest, next to the love of her life Rodge, in the Nichols Cemetery. Memories and condolences may be shared by visiting her guestbook at www.sutfinfuneralchapel.com

Flowers will be provided by the family, and they request memorial donations be directed to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation (ccfa.org) in loving memory of Janice A. Park.