Janet M. Van Allen

VAN ALLEN, LEIDY, HUNT

Posted By: Kathy Zobeck (email)
Date: 9/19/2007 at 11:20:21

Janet Van Allen, 82 of Iowa City died Monday, September 17, 2007, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics surrounded by her family.

Funeral services will be held at 3pm Saturday, September 22, 2007, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Iowa City. Family graveside services will be held at a later date at Memory Gardens Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 6pm Friday at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in her memory to the Maurice W. Van Allen Educational & Research Fund c/o University of Iowa Foundation or to the Visiting Nurses Association of Johnson County. Online condolences may be sent for her family through the web @ www.gayandciha.com.

Janet Marjorie Hunt was born August 29, 1925 in Bethlehem, PA, was raised and adored by Frederick and Evalyn (Leidy) Hunt. Following graduation from high school in Davenport, she attended Mary Cress College there. During WWII she did her part to help the war effort by working at the Rock Island Arsenal. On August 20, 1949, she was united in marriage to Dr. Maurice W. Van Allen in Davenport. Dr. Van Allen was Professor and Head of the Department of Neurology in the College of Medicine at the University of Iowa. Janet served as an editorial assistant in this department for a number of years.

Throughout the years Janet was involved with so much. She was the first woman to serve on the Trinity Episcopal Church vestry. She was a member of Hancher Guild, University of Iowa Presidents Club, supported her husband's work in many ways from hosting many social events to traveling near and far along his side. She supported UNICEF by selling cards at US Bank. She belonged to a group of friends for over fifty years who got together once a month for potlucks, cards, and to enjoy the fellowship. For a few years she had the title of landlord of some rental property they owned, and she was known to be one of the best landlords in Iowa City, even stocking the refrig for the new tenants before they arrived! Janet was a generous lady, didn't matter if you were a complete stranger, or one of her best friends, she would always put others before herself.

Her family includes her children, David Van Allen of Cedar Rapids, Marti Horan and her husband, Howard of Iowa City, Evalyn Van Allen Shalash of Iowa City, and Jon Van Allen of Cedar Falls; grandchildren, John Horan, Dina Shalash and Sarah Shalash; one great-grandson, Nicholas Van Allen Horan; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son-in-law, Ali Shalash; brothers, Frederick Hunt Jr., Stanley Wessman, and Donald Carpenter.