Janet Pfeifer

Janet Louise Pfeifer (Niebuhr) was born to Elda and Emil Niebuhr in Madison, Wisconsin, on September 2, 1929, and died peacefully in Parker, Colorado, on July 21, 2022. In addition to her numerous friends and extended family, she is survived by her daughter & son-in-law, Terri & Tom Lash, son & daughter-in-law, John Pfeifer & Jennifer Sehn, and grandchildren, Ethan, Claire (Tondre), Lee and David.  Jan lived in Madison until 8th grade when her family bought and moved to her maternal grandparents’ farm in Poynette, Wisconsin. She graduated from Poynette HS as Salutatorian. She continued her education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Education-- a lifelong Badger!

Upon graduation in 1951, Jan joined the Red Cross.  Her first assignment was at Fitzsimons Army Hospital in Aurora, Colorado, as a Recreation Coordinator for TB patients. She transferred to Ft Sill, OK and then Carswell AFB, in Fort Worth, Texas, where she met her future husband, Harold, a Captain in the US Air Force and navigator on B52s.  They married on January 26, 1957, and nine months later Terri was born in Sacramento, California.  John was born two years later in Altus, Oklahoma.  Jan was the consummate Air Force Officer’s wife -- a stay-at-home Mom, occasional substitute teacher, very involved in the Officers’ Wives Club throughout Harold’s 21-year career, and a professional at both unpacking all of the family’s household goods during the every-two-year military moves and managing her family when Harold was on “Alert Status” or on business trips.

When Harold retired from the USAF in September 1972, they moved to Livermore, California, where Jan was a HS career counselor, substitute teacher and active member in professional education organizations (AAUW, Delta Kappa Gamma) as well as Our Savior Lutheran Church. After the kids finished college, Jan went back to graduate school for her Masters in Counseling at St Mary’s College of California in Moraga.  She graduated in 1983, and worked as both a Middle School and HS counselor until she retired in 2005. Jan loved middle schoolers!! She could make any child ‘spill’ without them knowing it! While a counselor and on a school calendar, she and Harold traveled the world, literally. They visited all seven continents and over 50 countries. Favorites were Turkey and Africa (pyramids, Nile cruise, Kenya). Additionally, they vacationed for two weeks every year in Hawaii at their Kauai or Maui timeshares and the Hale Koa on Oahu or Kilauea Military Camp at Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island.

Two years after Harold died in 2008, Jan moved to Aurora, Colorado, to be closer to family. During the last 12 years, she made many new and dear friends in Heritage Eagle Bend, an adult-only, gated golf community. She participated in continuing education courses, Mah Jongg, Euchre & Bridge, Garden club, HEB Community Church, Book club and Clubhouse events. She and Terri did a lot of mother-daughter trips: The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs for lunch, dinner, jewelry trunk shows and occasional overnight stays. Roberto Coin and John Atencio were favorite jewelers of Jan (& Terri) and the credit cards could attest to that! Hawaii at least once per year for shopping, visiting Harold’s niche at the cemetery, R&R at the Hale Koa. Wisconsin annually for visits with relatives and her HS reunions (last reunion was #71 in Fall 2018!!). San Diego: Old Town, shopping, sightseeing. Europe/Asia trips as well: London/Iceland/German Christmas markets/South Korea. Life was great for Jan until the COVID-19 lockdowns– she continued email and phone conversations, but Zoom was not her cup of tea for all the community activities she once participated in. Fortunately, she had wonderful neighbors who visited her frequently and were so supportive, especially during the last 1.5 years.

Sadly, beginning in January 2021, Jan’s health began to decline physically and later cognitively which required her moving to a wonderful assisted living group home in late March 2022 (of course, Jan was quite adamant she would have preferred to remain in her home which was now no longer viable!!). Jan will be interred with Harold at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (aka “the Punchbowl”) on Oahu, Hawaii on November 14, 2022. Memorials can be made to the American Red Cross, www.redcross.org , or Lutheran Bible Translators, www.lbt.org .

Jan was always the stalwart of her family’s lives – a Christian, encouraging, supportive, generous and loving. While we miss her immensely, our family celebrates her full, well-lived life and rejoice in her reunion with Harold, family and friends in the presence of our dear Lord.