Obituary of Janet Brown

At the age of 85, after a last visit with each of her children, Janet Pearl Brown (nee Kubalanza) died where she loved to live, in her Sun Lakes home, in Banning, California, on October 16, 2011. Family members who preceded Janet in death include her mother, Jenny Kubalanza (nee Kushemba); her father, John Kubalanza; her sister, Virginia Schiavone; and her former husband, Henry George Brown. Memories of Janet and her life and love will be cherished by the family she leaves behind: her sister, Adeline Makey; her sons, Randall Brown and Tom (Melissa) Brown; her daughters, Nancy (Bruce) Williams and Janet (Bruce) Pivarunas; her former daughter-in-law Jonel Stahr Brown; her grandchildren, David and Allison Brown, Abigail and Rachel Williams, and Andrea, Jarrett and Griffin Pivarunas; and her extended family. A Chicagoan for more than three decades, Janet had moved in the early 1960s boom, with her husband Henry and their young family, to a new, suburban home in Oak Lawn, Illinois. In the 1970s, she studied accounting at Moraine Valley Community College to prepare for a career in business. Janet retired as the 21st century dawned, having gone from doing accounting via calculator to implementing automated bookkeeping systems. Her last full-time position, with Alliance Property Management, drew on the skills she had acquired serving many years on the board for her condominium association. Previously, she was Accounting and Office Manager for Ridge Medical, of Lombard, Illinois. For 16 years, she worked for Service Electric, of Alsip, Illinois. Her responsibilities there ultimately spanned all general accounting, office systems and procedures plus employee supervision. A letter from a colleague recommended her as "very bright, intelligent and conscientious" as well as "very pleasant and easy to work with." After relocating to enjoy a grand adventure in retirement, Janet had fun selling china and crystal at the outlet stores in Cabazon, California. A bowler when she was young, Janet delighted again in the game during her Sun Lakes years. She replaced her hobby of quilting with the challenges of gardening when she moved to the desert. Everyone who knew her knew that playing bridgeduplicate bridge, party bridge, marathon bridgegave Janet great joy and wonderful friendships. From her home in Sun Lakes, she enjoyed keeping up with current events and the advances and adventures of her grandchildren. Janet delighted in flowers, especially roses, and enjoyed following team sports. Her loved ones will gather in Chicagoland later this year to celebrate her life. In her memory, they are donating to the Rose Parade via the Tournament of Roses endowment fund (Pasadena Tournament of Roses Foundation, 391 S. Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91184). Janet loved the floats and marching bands of this perennial New Year's Day event. The Tournament of Roses takes joyful advantage of the warmth and blooms of California in midwinter, just as Janet did.