Jan Lenora Munson

Jan Lenora Munson
January 19, 2023
Fresno, California - "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood", begins Robert Frost's poem.
Jan Lenora Munson died on January 19, 2023 in Fresno, CA, after a prolonged chronic illness. Born in Willmar, MN to Lenora (Gabbert) Munson and Vernon A Munson, she was the youngest of three daughters. Her family followed Vernon's 30+ year career as Vice President of Northrup King Seed Company. She spent her first 5 years in Brooklyn Center, MN until her father opened an NK branch in Richardson, TX in 1960. Outspoken, engaging, independent, and stubborn, she was blessed and cursed with the gift of a near photographic memory, much like her mother. She graduated from Richardson High School and, like all good Munson daughters, attended Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. After her freshman year she went home and decided to try the University of Texas in Austin. Not content there either, she returned to Dallas and graduated from UT Dallas in Communication Arts. In college she acted in leading roles including Helen of Troy and Shakespearean plays. Despite attending three separate colleges, she graduated in three years. She got her first job in the performance arts at Bill Stokes studio in Dallas. Shortly thereafter she began "working the board" at KERA Dallas public radio (90 FM), leading Morning Edition and participating in the televised fundraisers. She flourished there, telling stories that mattered to residents of Dallas and the nation. Her interviews included Ross Perot discussing his legendary support and rescue of his two EDS employees during the Iran Hostage crisis, Virginia Johnson (of Masters and Johnson) on the female sexual response, author Robin Cook, and the NAACP Youth Council, to name just a few. She then continued her work as a beat reporter at KRLD News Radio. She was awarded the Best Radio Documentary by the Texas Broadcasters Associated Press, which highlighted the lack of Spanish-speaking dispatchers for 911 calls. It eventually led Dallas to provide bilingual dispatchers for Dallas County.
Despite a promising career, she became intrigued by and leaned into the many medical stories that she covered on the air, subsequently pursuing post-baccalaureate science classes prior to entering medical school. She graduated from the University of North Texas Health Science Center, then known as the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. She moved to Fresno to begin her training in psychiatry at UCSF Fresno, under the program leadership of Scott Ahles, MD. She had the privilege of caring for Southeast Asian patients suffering from PTSD from the Vietnam war and the killing fields of Cambodia. She became the Director of Emergency Psychiatry Services at Valley Medical Center and served in that role for 8 years, supervising psychiatry residents in the Behavioral Care Unit. It was in the BCU where she met Jim, her life- and soulmate, a young aspiring emergency medicine resident, who shared her same values in caring for the mentally ill. While with Fresno County Mental Health, she accomplished much, with her most pivotal work leading and directing the Crisis Management Response Team (CMRT) under the strategic vision of Larry Levy, MD. The program identified the high risk mentally ill who overutilized emergency services, and provided effective case management and wrap-around services that kept patients in crisis out of the hospital, and ensured medication adherence and regular outpatient visits. She later cared for patients in Sanger and West Fresno, and made her mark there. After leaving County Medical Health, she entered into private practice with Charles House, PhD, and Matt House, DO.
She and her beloved husband Jim raised 2 children, Joshua and Jonah, who are the center of her universe. She was a superb psychiatrist, a loving and devoted wife and mother, and an extraordinary daughter, sister, and friend. Her gift, despite her remarkable recall, was that she knew how to listen. Her sister, Nette, was the beneficiary of her memories, insight, and wisdom, which was shared during hours of conversations during her entire life. She was a truth seeker and truth teller. She is survived by her husband, Jim Comes, MD, her sons Joshua & Jonah, her mother- and father-in-law, Mary Ann & George Comes, her sister- and brother-in-law Lynnette & Steve Browder in Indiana, her brother- and sister-in-law John & Carla Comes, her niece Erin Friedman (Mike) in Virginia, nephew Adam Browder (Shanice) in Indiana, niece Isabelle Comes, and 3 great-nephews Gabriel & Austin Friedman and Addison Browder.
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and Jan--
Jan took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
Special thanks to the team at the Community Cancer Institute, UCSF Fresno Division of Hematology and Oncology, and to all of the nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, LVNs, transport, laboratory technicians, patient care assistants, and everyone else within Community Health System that intersected and were involved in Jan's care. Donations can be made in Jan Munson's memory to either CCI, UCSF Fresno Hematology/Oncology, or Clovis Botanical Gardens. https://www.fresno.ucsf.edu/give/, or Clovis Botanical Gardens.