Janice L. Thomas

1949 - 2020

THOMAS, Janice L., Ph.D., 71, passed away peacefully on August 16, 2020, due to health complications. She was born in San Diego, Calif., to (Capt., USN Retired) John L. and Mary Prehn on April 9, 1949. Jan was passionate about life and strived to help others to be safe and healthy in their endeavors through her volunteer and professional pursuits. She was a founding and lifetime member of the Holly Grove Volunteer Rescue Squad and the Safety & Environmental Supervisor with C.T. Purcell Excavating, Inc. in Montpelier, Va., Jan received her doctorate in Public Administration and was a professor and mentor of safety at VCU. Jan shared her love of working with natural fibers for dying and spinning through her involvement with Clotho's Handspinners guild and Field Days of The Past. Jan was preceded in death by her son, Ian Dye Thomas; and her parents, John and Mary Prehn. She is survived by her daughter, Kate W. Joachim of Ashland, Va.; ex-husband, Jeffrey Thomas of Ashland, Va.; brothers, John Prehn (Barbara) of Annapolis, Md. and Bill Prehn (Robyn) of Crofton, Md.; sister, Jill Simpson (Steven) of Victoria, Va.; and brother, Thomas (Renluka) Prehn of Boulder, Colo. Jan is also survived by her granddaughters, Lillian and Madeline Joachim of Gum Springs, Va. A Celebration of Life will be held 1 p.m. Sunday, September 20, 2020, at the Rassawek Vineyard in Columbia, Va. Masks are required for visitors and please try to respectfully social distance. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jan's memory to the Holly Grove Rescue Squad, hollygroverescuesquad.org.