David Lee Janovy

David Lee Janovy passed away in Mankato on January 9, 2026, at the age of 91. Born in 1934 in Seward, Nebraska, to Gretchen and Joseph Janovy, he grew up in Newman Grove, where his father was a train station master and telegraph operator and his mother a church organist. Living above the train station, watching trains come and go, sparked a lifelong curiosity about the wider world. As a teenager, he worked as a lifeguard and grocery bagger, played in the school band, attended Boys State, and participated in a psychology research project that ignited his interest in the social sciences.

After graduating from high school in 1952, Dave attended Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, where he met his beloved future wife, Darlene Murphy. They married in 1956, the year they both graduated from college. Dave entered officer training with the U.S. Marine Corps and served for four years, resigning his commission as a First Lieutenant. He remembered his Marine Corps years with great fondness, as well as the happy times he and Darlene spent exploring Washington, D.C. After his military service, Dave began a doctoral program in sociology at the University of Nebraska while Darlene taught elementary school. In 1964, they welcomed their first daughter, Lisa, and soon moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where Dave pursued postdoctoral work at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In 1966, their daughter Jennifer was born while they were living in Normal, Illinois, where Dave taught at Illinois State University.

A phone call from longtime friend Dwain Petersen encouraging Dave to apply for a position at Mankato State University led the family to Mankato in 1968, where they settled on Westwood Drive in West Mankato. Dave joined Mankato State as Chair of the Department of Sociology. During his thirty-year career at MSU, he served as Chair for ten years, founded and directed the University’s Gerontology Program, served on the Minnesota Board on Aging, and led numerous ElderHostel programs. The academic schedule allowed the family to travel often, visiting relatives across the United States and exploring national parks.

Dave and Darlene also cherished the close friendship of the “Nebraska Group,” four couples who moved from Nebraska to Mankato to work at the University. Like an extended family, Dwain and Carole Petersen, Bill and Polly Webster, and Doug and Jane Ralston celebrated birthdays and other milestones together for more than fifty years.

Following retirement (Darlene from her position as principal of Hoover Elementary School), Dave and Darlene traveled widely, ultimately visiting forty-one countries. They also spent about fifteen winters in Palm Springs, California, drawn by close friends and the area’s natural beauty. When asked which countries he most hoped to revisit, he named Denmark—where he had completed a six-week fellowship—and Bohemia, honoring his Czech roots.

After Darlene’s passing in 2015, Dave remained active in his community and profession. He founded Mankato Area Lifelong Learners and served on the boards of VINE Faith in Action and the Chesley Center for Aging. He continued to travel, taking his grandchildren on many special trips. Throughout his life, Dave stayed curious and keenly interested in others, always teaching and learning, and offering support and guidance to many.

In 2023, Dave moved to the Pillars of Mankato, where he reunited with old friends, made new ones, and served in his final leadership role as President of the Resident Council. He is survived by his daughters, Lisa (Corey) Keyes of Hayesville, North Carolina, and Jennifer Janovy (Randy Meyer) of Edina, Minnesota; grandchildren, Olivia Janovy Meyer of Fort Lauderdale and Hans Janovy Meyer of Minneapolis; and a special “adopted daughter,” Ann Cesafsky of Mankato. The family is grateful to Dave’s many friends and professional associates who shared their love, wit, and wisdom with him—and he with them. They extend deep thanks to the staff at the Pillars of Mankato, Moments Hospice Mankato, and his caring medical team.

Dave kept a book of quotes he found meaningful, and it is fitting to close with this one from Dr. Seuss: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

A memorial service is planned for the spring. Notice will be shared online and in The Free Press. Donations in Dave’s memory may be directed to these organizations in Mankato, which serve older adults:

VINE Faith in Action:

https://secure.myvanco.com/L-Z5Y1/campaign/C-12M5H

Minnesota State University–Mankato for the benefit of Lifelong Learners (include note in comment to designate gift):

https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/donor-form/?svcid=renxt&formId=a9f68e87-6030-4176-80b1-fdacbb647b60&envid=p-cK5KhHE_jUqNUpxVx_kUhQ&zone=usa