Our Oakmont Parliamo italiano group was where I first met Jan. She seemed to treasure her time with our group (and we treasured her participation in the group listening to her amazing stories of her unique experiences in Italy). She was never one to be exclusionary but jumped into sharing both the good and bad/the funny and profane of her time in Italy. She also shared her home for celebratory events - in fact, I have to say she seemed to thoroughly enjoy having our group in her home - she was a wonderful hostess. I also enjoyed Jan in the writing group she introduced me to. In fact, her encouragement was what drew me into attempting to write poetry. I will forever be grateful to her for her kind comments about my writing. I miss her generosity of spirit and inciteful questions to encourage further exploration on a subject in wonderful conversation - she was so skilled at that. I know she was so proud of her family and looked forward to their visits - she told me so, frequently. Jan was unique and a special friend, and she will be missed. In friendship and love, Jane Rinaldi