Janet Eileen Schultz

Age 93, of Roseville for many decades, and recently of Minnetonka. We are so sad to announce that our beloved “Gram” died October 23, 2020 of Covid-19. We are heartbroken to lose this exceptional woman who meant so much to so many. She had a newspaper clipping tucked away that was discovered after her death. It reads, “It doesn’t matter how many houses, cars, bank accounts or other material possessions you had, what matters is you made an impact in the life of a child.” She truly lived by these words. Widowed in her early 60’s, she devoted herself to being the most enthusiastic and fun Gram to her two grandkids by taking them on many adventures far and near, playing cribbage and Scrabble, and never passing up an opportunity to enrich and expand their minds. Years later when great-grandkids arrived on the scene, she was a significant presence in their lives, and was greatly loved by them, too. Any children outside the family (and adults, too, for that matter) were encouraged by her to, “just call me Gram.” ​She married young, while still in college, and a year later was a mother. Upon the insistence of her own mother, she went back to finish college and became a medical technologist - a career she admitted she kind of stumbled into, but ultimately loved and thrived in. She worked for many years at the U of M Boynton Health Service in a management role for the laboratory, x-ray and eye departments, and was often sought out by physicians for her insight and breadth of knowledge about puzzling lab test results.​Tom, her husband of 43 years, died unexpectedly just months after Jan retired. She filled the years that followed with abundant and adventurous travel to all corners of the world. Her travels were mostly focused on cultural learning or service to others, and had a frugal element we expected and admired. She was often the social spark in her travel groups, and usually was responsible for the group members gathering for happy hours. She had a gift for being able to converse with anyone, about anything, which her family enjoyed poking fun at her about. ​Jan was a regular for many years in the women’s golf league at the U of M, often finding herself organizing tournaments as well as playing 18 holes. When her mobility started to get in the way of being able to continue playing, she still regularly met the golfers for lunch and kept those dear friendships alive. She also devoted herself to volunteering at the Ramsey County library and the Roseville schools, helping the little ones become better readers, a skill she considered essential to being successful in life. She was a regular presence at the family cabin property near Hinckley, and loved an opportunity to throw a fishing line into the river or pitch in on log-splitting or other chores.​Jan is survived by her son, Tom (Charlene), daughter, Robin (Tony), grandchildren Carly (Ryan), and David (Jo Jo), great-grandchildren, Brooklyn, William, Lillian, and Jacob, as well as a few special friends and many, many other people in her life who loved and appreciated her. We apologize, but due to Covid-19, services will be limited to immediate family.