Janice Allene Jeske

Janice Allene Jeske passed away peacefully surrounded by friends and family at Somerford Place of Stockton on July 1, 2015.

The youngest of three daughters, Jan was born on January 13, 1945 in Evansville, IN. Playfully competitive from a young age when she would beat the boys in foot races, she became an outstanding cheerleader at the high school and collegiate levels. At Bosse High School, she helped cheer on the boys’ basketball team to the state championship in 1962. At Indiana University where she studied medical technology and received her Bachelor of Science in 1967, she was a candidate for Miss Cheerleader U.S.A. She was also a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. She remained close with friends from high school and college for the rest of her life.

In 1967 Jan moved to California. With her first husband Bill Helfrick, she lived in San Francisco where she began her career as a clinical laboratory scientist. In 1978 she moved to Stockton to raise her family with her second husband Stephen Jeske. Throughout her life Jan drew on her faith in Christ to serve her community. She was an integral member of Quail Lakes Baptist Church where she led a Sunday School class and was a greeter for many years. She was also a longtime leader in Bible Study Fellowship. For over three decades she worked for St. Joseph’s Hospital where she was passionate about providing quality care to patients. Jan was also an excited participant in her fellow lab workers’ monthly dinners, garden parties, theatre-outings, piano recitals, and various trips. Jan was an exceptionally sharp, gregarious, and caring person who did thousands of thoughtful acts to make the lives of others more enjoyable and meaningful, from saying just the right thing on so many occasions to giving out plates of Christmas cookies to her friends and neighbors. She performed the rare feat of being the life of the party and caring deeply for everyone at the party. Her family and friends will miss her deeply.

Jan loved to spend time with her family. Childhood road trips to Florida with mother and sisters started a tradition that she carried on with her own daughters. She had particularly special memories of being at Yosemite. She is survived by her daughters Stephanie Jeske and Jennifer Jeske, their husbands Roland Wu and Peter Weise, her grandchildren Remy and Allene Wu, in whom she took such delight, her siblings Mary Schnute and Connie Blanton, her niece Karen Schnute, who was like a sister to her, her ex-husband Bill Helfrick, and many close friends across the United States. She is preceded by her parents, her husband Stephen Jeske, her daughter Kristen Jeske, and her favorite dog Kiwi.

Deyoung Shoreline Chapel, 7676 Shoreline Dr., Stockton is honored to serve the Jeske family. Visitation will be held on July 9 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The memorial service will be at 11 a.m. on July 10.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Fix Our Ferals (PO Box 13083 Berkeley, CA 94712) or Animal Protection League (PO Box 1863 Stockton, CA 95201).