Janet Louise "Jan" Thurow

Janet L. Block Bezouska Thurow, 97, of Des Moines, passed away peacefully at Wesley On Grand retirement community in Des Moines on August 10, 2025.

Janet or Jan, was born on January 13, 1928 in Rockford, Illinois, the daughter of Marjorie (Porter) and John Block. She moved with her parents and older brother Burton, to DeKalb, Illinois when she was 3 months old. When she was 12 years old she moved to her beloved home at 330 Miller Avenue, DeKalb, that her mother and father built in 1940, complete with an elevator to accommodate her wheelchair bound mother.

Jan enjoyed her years in DeKalb playing on the DeKalb High School GAA, Girls Athletic Association of DeKalb, where she enjoyed swimming and field hockey. Jan graduated from DeKalb Senior High School in 1945. She attended Principia College in Alta, Illinois for 2 years and then transferred to Northern Illinois University, NIU, in DeKalb to assist her ailing mother while attending college. She graduated from NIU in 1950 with a Home Economics degree. Jan taught Home Ec at the Glen Ellyn, IL High School for 1 year. She married Norman J. Bezouska in August 1951. To this union 2 daughters were born, Susan and Sandra. Jan started working for NIU as a secretary in the Research & Grants department in 1966. Here she met many wonderful people and formed lasting friendships with others from the university. Jan was united in marriage to Walter Thurow of Sycamore, IL in 1972.

Jan & Wally moved to Slidell, LA in 1982 where she lived for 33 years. Jan & Wally enjoyed dancing, traveling, biking and playing bridge together. They traveled to all 50 states as well as Europe and Asia, including 6 bicycle trips in Europe and 6 cruises. While in Slidell, they lost their home to hurricane Katrina in 2005, but overcame this devastation when a crew of builders from Sycamore traveled to Slidell to rebuild. Jan enjoyed playing duplicate bridge in Slidell and she continued to play at the Bridge Center of Des Moines. She obtained the coveted Life Master Bridge achievement and enjoyed both playing and directing. She & Wally went on several cruises where Jan was the cruise ship bridge director. She also enjoyed many trips back to DeKalb & Sycamore for the annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival that Wally started in 1962. Jan had a special talent as a seamstress and found joy in creating special items for others. She made dresses for her young daughters, costumes for dance recitals & Halloween, back to school clothing, Christmas stockings, matching pajamas & sweatshirts for her grandsons and the most gorgeous mother of the bride dress for one of her friends! She also had a special decorating talent and could whip up new drapes, table & bed linens or just about anything you could think of!

Jan's pride and joy were her daughters, 3 grandsons and 4 great grandchildren. To be closer to the "grands", she moved to Des Moines in 2015. A highlight for Jan was this past Christmas when she was able to pass on her card talents to her great grandson when he played (and won) his first game of Go Fish !

Jan was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Wally, and her brother Burton. She is survived by her daughters, Susan MacIntosh (John Okas), of Ft Myers, FL and Sandy Roan (John) of W. Des Moines. She is also survived by her grandsons David (Kaitlyn) Roan, Mark Roan, and James (Alexandra) Roan. She is also survived by 4 great grandchildren, Michael & Natalie, and Smith & Madeline.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the wonderful staff in the Health Center at Wesley On Grand and Wesley Hospice. We will all remember Jan's loving smile and her beautiful twinkling blue eyes!

There will be a visitation at 1:30 pm on Saturday September 6, 2025 with a memorial service at 2:00pm, at the Wesley On Grand Auditorium, 3524 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Janet's memory may be made to Greater Des Moines Bridge Center, C/O Brad Albers, 8529 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA 50322, The Free Store, 1020 24th St, W. Des Moines, IA 50266, thefreestore.org, or to Wesley Life Foundation, In memory of Janet Thurow-WOG Library (Wesley On Grand) 3520 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312, wesleylife.org/foundation/donate-now#donate.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.ilesfuneralhomes.com

Arrangements by Iles Dunn's Chapel

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