Davitt, Jan (1941 - 2016)

DAVITT, PHILLIPS, SCHMITZ, SHAW, GOESER, KRANZ, ZISKIND, CALLEN

Posted By: Denise Wurner (email)
Date: 8/6/2016 at 14:56:10

Name of deceased: Janet Helen Davitt (nee Phillips)

Aged: 74 yrs, 11 mo, 17 days

Residence: Harlan, IA

Born: Aug. 5, 1941; Centerville, IA

Died: July 22, 2016, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, NE

Funeral services: Mass of Christian Burial: Tuesday, July 26, 2016; St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Harlan, IA; burial was in the Harlan Cemetery, Harlan, IA

Survived by: Husband of 53 years, Pat Davitt of Harlan, IA; daughters, Kim (spouse, John) Schmitz of Iowa City, IA, Lisa (spouse, Todd) Shaw of Ankeny, IA, Rachelle (spouse, Jeff) Goeser of Davenport, IA, and Theresa (spouse, Jim) Kranz of Harvard, MA; grandchildren, Jacob and Aaron Schmitz, Ryan and Nicholas Shaw, Alyssa, Lauren, and Courtney Goeser, and Chloe and Lucas Kranz; sister, Rosemary Ziskind of Falls Church, VA; brothers, Glen (spouse, Linda) Phillips of Raleigh, NC, and Dave (spouse, Sharon) Phillips of Bettendorf, IA.

Predeceased by: Parents, Harry and Edrie (nee Callen) Phillips; brother-in-law, Jerry Ziskind

Education: attended a one-room country schoolhouse before graduating from Moravia (IA) High School, Class of 1959; graduated from AIB College of Business, Des Moines, IA

Religious affiliation: Catholic; served on St. Michael’s School Board, Harlan, IA; was a Eucharistic minister to those in the hospital, nursing and private homes

Military service: n/a

Marriage: Pat Davitt; Aug. 25, 1962; St. John’s Basilica, Des Moines, IA

Employment: Initially, she worked for the Iowa Parole Board for several years; started a travel agency, Jan’s World Travel, which she ran for 33 years and which gave her the opportunity to travel to Central America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Hobbies/Interests: great cook; avid fan of Iowa football and enjoyed many years of tailgating at homecoming games; attending grandchildrens’ activities; active in the Cursillo Renewal Retreats and used her Deacon Couple Formation contacts to counsel people seeking airline bereavement fares; was a leader in supporting women cancer patients by working with the “Look Good, Feel Better” program; was an active volunteer for the Democratic Party

Sources: harlanonline.com; kjan.com; burmeisterjohannsen.com