Note: This message was originally sent on April 23, 2019
I know everyone saw the “Thoughts and Prayers” message about Don Jan’s passing on April 10…it provided a beautiful description about a wonderful man who cared deeply about GU. As we prepare to celebrate Don’s life this Friday and Saturday and prepare for commencement (just a few weeks away), I thought it important for us all to have this thought from Don as a point of reflection: When it comes to describing his education, Don was always succinct: “I spent nine years with the Sisters of Providence nuns and seven years with the Jesuits. I had to succeed because they wouldn’t let me fail.”
As many of you know, Don established the Don and Marilyn Jans Athletic Scholarship fund, as well as the Don and Marilyn Jans Fund for Faculty Recruitment and Innovation in the School of Engineering. Over the course of 56 years, Don and his family supported several engineering scholarships, Gonzaga-in-Florence, the Electrical Transmission and Distribution Engineering Program, business scholarships and buildings, unrestricted funds, nursing, and many other funds.
Don was famous for sharing the following… “I’m a long-term supporter to the University and Gonzaga Prep. People from the University, like Fr. Coughlin, always stayed in touch. It is relationships such as these that have encouraged me to continue working with the faculty and students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. It’s my turn to be a mentor – to both the students and my own 12 grandchildren.”
He was a mentor and friend to many… we will miss you, Don.