Jan Nicole Kirkland, the beloved daughter of Bob and Sally Kirkland, was born October 16, 1973 in Warren, Ohio. She was the spitting image of her Dad with dark hair and deep brown eyes. She grew up in the country loving her friend Angie Yoder and neighbor Mrs. Fischer. Jan adored cats since age 3, when she would take our big cat Morris around in her baby buggy. She started school involved in everything 4-H, showing not only her pony Coco but hogs, stinky hogs. She played volleyball, basketball and ran track in junior high. When she entered high school she settled on softball as her favorite sport but also played volleyball for 4 years. She got a triple play in softball and was more excited than a big league professional.

She grew up! Can you believe that? Jan chose nursing as her career. Her dad and I thought Wow. After working for General Motors where her Dad also worked for a few years, she transferred to a Georgia plant and started nursing school. She graduated from Georgia Baptist School of Nursing of Mercer University, Atlanta, Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After giving birth to her daughter Hannah, she moved to Florida and worked in a pediatric unit for severely injured and abused babies and children. She was thrilled when they made progress. She also became close friends with Cara Pagan, the social worker at the unit as they raised their girls together. She worked as a director of several rehabilitation units for surgery patients, one at Margate Healthcare where she met her favorite doctor to work with, Dr. G. Jan was also director of the rehabilitation unit of Salem Hospital, Salem, Ohio for 2 years.

Until her death she was Director of Nursing at Caring People Home Healthcare. Jackie her co-worker and her husband became good friends and saw a lot of pro football games together. She told me one time she just loved her oldies. As you can tell, she was passionate about life and her love for her beloved daughter Hannah.

She was preceded in death by her Father Bob 10 weeks ago and both sets of grandparents. She is survived by her mother Sally Kirkland of Ohio.

Please share your memories of Jan or leave your condolences to her family with this Online Obituary.