To the members of Peace Corps Sierra Leone II, family, and friends
It is with great sorrow that I must announce the passing away of Jane Koning. It was almost a year ago that she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She fought it as best she could, enduring surgery and chemo, and fought it with the same courage and determination with which she fought lupus and kidney disease.
As you know, we connected after the reunion in 2011 and have spent as much time together as possible. I will always treasure those times and am sad they couldn't continue. Not long before our reunion she had received a new kidney and was ready to live life to the hilt. We rode the train back from DC, cruised from San Diego to Vancouver, lazed in Maui, and weathered an April blizzard in Yosemite. Then, just about a year ago, she was making plans for her dream trip to Paris with a girl friend and fellow francophile when she got this diagnosis. Even then she was able to visit me several times in Davis.
About a month ago she completed her chemo series and was told she needed to take a break. We planned another trip to Maui and actually made it there, but her condition declined and we came home early. Tests showed that the cancer had spread to the nervous system and there was little that could be done.
She moved to a very nice nursing home, where they took very good care of her. She had visits from many of her local friends, and her family and myself were with her. ,Her passing was very peaceful.
She is survived by her sons Tom and Frank, daughter-in-law Annie, and grandsons Ryan and Kenny. She also remained on good terms with her former husband Franz, a fellow PCV whom she married in Sierra Leone. ,A few days ago she remarked how thankful she was that she lived to see her grandsons grow up, to see Ryan graduate from high school.
If you wish to send cards to her family, you can use her address:
5242 120th Ave SE
Bellevue, WA 98006
A memorial service is being planned, but there are no details yet. If you have any good stories about Jane from our PC days, I'm sure her family would like to share them at the service.
Be well.
Erick Lorenz
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| Jane Koning |
