Janet S. St. John

1941 - 2022

Janet S. St. John was released into the arms of her Savior on September 23, 2022, in Charlottesville, Va., after a valiant, 42-year battle against Multiple Sclerosis.

Jan was born in Huntington, W.Va., on November 18, 1941, to Carl and Helen Seager. She grew up in Milton and was the salutatorian of the Milton High School class of '59 where she played the French horn and was a majorette in the marching band.

She graduated from the UVA School of Nursing in 1962 and worked locally as an OBGYN nurse for many years. In 1963 she married George R. St. John at the UVA chapel, whom she met at a bluegrass party. They took pride in restoring an old farmhouse in Esmont, Va., where they raised their family. Her love of old Virginia houses inspired her to pursue a career in real estate; she earned her broker's license and opened St. John Properties where she dedicated herself tirelessly until illness forced her to retire.

She was an accomplished seamstress; avid guitarist, pianist, organist, and vocalist; Girl Scout leader; genealogist; member of the choir at St. Paul's Memorial Church and later at St. Anne's parish where she was also a youth choir director and vestry member. She dearly loved the Oratorio Society of which she was a member and past president. Jan treasured yearly trips to Caswell Beach, N.C., with family and nursing school classmates. She made elaborate Halloween costumes for her children and handstitched exquisite Christening gowns for family and friends. Her appreciation of dark humor and off-color jokes is well known, as is the tenacity that enabled her to persevere. She was able to continue her research projects and encourage others via an Eye-gaze system, for which she was a test participant, that allowed her to connect digitally with the outside world. She passed on to her children a love of music, history, and a feisty debate, as well as intolerance for fecklessness and incompetence.

Jan is survived by her husband, George; her children, Catherine Robb (Matt), Elizabeth Milligan (Randy), Virginia St. John (Alex Lunsford), and George St. John (Alex Berry); grandchildren, Bonnie McIntosh, Zachary Robb (Savannah), Lindsay and Hunter Milligan, and Rachel Needham; Rachel's father, Richard Needham; great-grandchildren, Lacey and Levi Robb; her sister, Mary Taylor (George); brother, Carl Seager; and a host of beloved nephews, nieces, and cousins.

The family wishes to thank the many friends and visitors who supplied Jan with food, gifts, friendship, and comfort over the years; Chris Council, who maintained her computer system, which was her lifeline to the outside world; the doctors and nurses at Martha Jefferson Hospital; and the staff at Hospice of the Piedmont who cared for our mother so beautifully during her final transition.

A memorial service will be held at Christ Church Glendower, Scottsville, Va. on Saturday, October 15, 2022, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of the Piedmont at hopva.org.