For Jan

I was touched and honored to be asked to help eulogize my colleague and friend Jan Rowley at her celebration of life service on June 1, 2024. Rob was asking four different people to speak to four different aspects of Jan's life. I had already been writing this piece in my head before Jan's husband Rob Williamson reached out to me. My thoughts were too big for a social media post, but I kept putting ideas together in my head as I processed this loss and thought I might post them here. Then Rob's request came and what I wrote and read for Jan at her gorgeous service follows.

Good morning. My name is Beth McGrath and I am here to speak to the incredible life Jan shared with Ralston Public Schools. 

Not an easy task!

In August of 1987, I was a brand new teacher at Ralston High School and Jan and Bob Benzel came to my classroom to introduce themselves. Jan told me she was starting her 11th year, and internally my jaw dropped and I thought to  myself-- 11 years--that’s a LIFETIME. We laughed about that story many times--I went on to teach for 33 years and Jan taught for 40! You can’t think Ralston High School without thinking “Jan Rowley” and you can’t think Jan Rowley without thinking “Ralston High School.”

To describe her impact is nearly impossible.

She had the incredible gift to reach, to connect with students of all types and academic levels. She spent years teaching our most at-risk students in basic level classes and at our alternative school. They adored her because they saw her compassion and warmth, and her genuine belief in each of them, and she could talk to them about anything--the car they were rebuilding, sports they were playing or following, music they liked. What they were interested in, she was interested in for them.  And secretly at the time, and openly later as attested to by dozens of recent FaceBook posts, they appreciated her high expectations of them, as high as the expectations she had for top students in her advanced and AP classes, who equally adored her.

She co-developed the beloved humanities class introducing students to classic films, art and music, giving these Ralston students experiences they would have never had otherwise: museums, productions at Opera Omaha! 

And everything was done with joy.

How was she able to reach such a broad range of students, and colleagues? She was a Renaissance woman. 

She was as comfortable and capable working wrestling tournaments which she and I spent countless hours together doing under the “tutelage” of her long time friend and my late husband, Jim McGrath, as she was chatting with students after a theatrical or musical performance sharing from her own vast drama experiences. Theatre kids knew when Ms. Rowley was attending a performance--they recognized her laugh in the audience and understood what high praise it was!

An avid and supremely knowledgeable Yankees fans, the only time I ever saw the wall-mounted tv in her classroom on, besides for showing Romeo and Juliet or Citizen Kane, was after school one April on opening day watching the Yankees while she worked in her classroom--like she did every single night until at least 6:00 p.m. 

She and Rob worked every varsity home football game for years in the pressbox running the clock and spotting for the announcer.

She attended every drama production, was the Co-creator and co host of  Mr. RHS--THE perennial favorite event at Ralston High School, and for some kids their first introduction to Jan’s wickedly funny side and her brilliant sense of humor. 

She sponsored and chaperoned the Ski club again with my late husband, marshaling kids to Colorado teaching them to ski and enjoy and appreciate a completely different environment.

She served as class sponsor--senior class, freshman class. She loved freshmen!

Students saw her everywhere--not just in their class. And that made all the difference in seeing how much she cared abou them as well rounded scholars and human beings.

One of my favorite memories with Jan was happening upon the Bayeux Tapestry in Bayeux, France when we were helping chaperone one of Todd Urmacher’s Europe trips. Unless you are a British literature teacher, you may not understand the significance of this--but I can’t imagine experiencing it with anyone else but Jan. We looked at each other in amazement--”can you believe we’re seeing this?” she asked, her eyes sparkling, her smile wide.  She (and Rob) taught me that celebrating a birthday should be a fortnight, not one day. She introduced me to Love Actually as THE Christmas movie. And speaking of Christmas, she had the ultimate Christmas sweater collection which students and English department staff anticipated seeing every year--she had enough to wear one every school day in December. 

Jan continued after her retirement in 2016 to serve on the Board of the Ralston Schools Foundation including as Board President. She continued her positive influence and impact on Ralston Public Schools and the wider Ralston community through this work.

In short, Jan was lovely and smart and strong and classy and compassionate and So Much Fun.  To RPS and 100s if not 1000s of students, she was truly a good and faithful servant. May flights of angels sing her to her rest.