Janice Dunlop Stebner

 Our beloved, sweet Jan (Dunlop) Stebner died peacefully in her home on Oct. 6, 2025, with her husband by her side following a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio to parents Robert (Bob) and Lois Dunlop (née Mitchell), Jan was the eldest of four. She is survived by her devoted husband Don, children Beth (Michael Cooper), and Nathan, grandson Rudy and granddoodle Björn, brother John (Dorothy), sister Bonnie (Keith), and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family. She is preceded in death by her parents and her brother Roger (Karolyn).

Jan spent much of her childhood on the shores of Lake Huron at a cottage in Canada that her grandfather, Scottish emigrant John Dunlop, purchased in the 1920s. With its white sand beach and crystal-clear water, Lambdon Shores became a cherished gathering place for aunts, uncles, and a gaggle of cousins, serving as backdrop for generations of Dunlops to gather together and play.

After graduating from Wheaton College, Jan moved to Dublin for three years to earn a teaching certificate at Trinity College and teach at a girl’s boarding school in Celbridge at an old, drafty manor house. It was there she learned (perhaps by necessity) to knit traditional Irish Aran sweaters by hand.

She met her husband Don Stebner shortly after returning to the U.S. on a blind date at Iacomini’s restaurant in Akron—a setup by Don’s brother Bruce and his then wife, Maureen. After many more dinners out and several sailing adventures on Lake Pymatuning later, they were married by Jan’s father at Fairlawn Bible Chapel on Dec. 16, 1978. Their married life began with both of them quitting their teaching jobs, buying a house, and moving to Kent. Don's full-time job was getting his Masters in Music Education; Jan's full-time job was helping Don painstakingly write his master's thesis on typewriter—no typos or white-out allowed!—somehow the first paper Don was required to write during his entire education.

Once his hard-earned Masters was obtained, the newlyweds turned their attention to other pastimes, including hiking the trails of the Cuyahoga Valley National Parks and beyond. Once the kids came—son Nathan was adopted in 1984, and daughter Beth two years later—they adjusted their hiking hobby slightly by bringing their babies along in backpacks. As the children grew, trail hiking became a beloved activity for the whole family.

Jan decided to hang up her teacher’s hat for a time, choosing to become a loving, doting, and patient mother. As a true polymath, she always kept herself engaged beyond her homemaker duties. From sewing, smocking, and hand-embroidering many of their clothes to creating intricate, masterful quilts and needlepoints, there were usually dozens of crafts being worked on at any given time (affectionately christened UFOs, “unfinished objects").

She served as president of Stan Hywet’s Needlework Guild from 1997-1999, all the while earning blue ribbons for her exceptional needlework during the annual Stitchery Showcase, and ideating fundraising ideas like creating an elaborate Canterbury Tales rug to auction off to help preserve the manor’s textiles.

She relished travel, whether that was an 18-hour driving marathon to visit her parents in Florida, or navigating a snowy overpass in the Colorado Rockies on a family holiday. Before she met Don, she traveled abroad several times with her family to places like Morocco, Venice, and Bolivia. With Don and children in tow, they visited everywhere from Shenandoah to San Francisco. As empty nesters, their travels led them west to Hawaii, south to Florida, and along the Eastern Seaboard from DC to Maine, including (much to Don's chagrin) New York City, where Beth lived for 13 years.

Jan’s faith was central to her identity—she had the sweetest spirit, and even when the Alzheimer's was starting to progress, her pleasant demeanor and kind soul always meant you were greeted with a warm smile and an enthusiastic “hiya!” In the early years of the disease, she was able to travel, be there for the birth of her grandson, and even walk her daughter down the aisle. Her positive attitude and gracious spirit made the later years more bearable, and singing hymns and reading familiar Bible verses brought her great comfort.

Throughout it all, her husband Don selflessly, lovingly took the very best care of his wife. He planted a rose garden to always provide her with fresh, fragrant flowers in hues of pinks, whites, and salmon. When Jan would get confused about her whereabouts or who Don was, he’d reassure her: “This is our house. We’re married, we’re together, always.”

Then he’d point to their wedding bands, his gold, hers platinum, topped with a solitaire diamond, and say, “These mean ‘til death do us part. I’m not going anywhere. I’m yours forever—always and ever.”

A casual Celebration of Life gathering will be held on Sun., Oct. 12th from 1-4pm at Papa Joe’s/Iacomini’s at 1561 Akron Peninsula Road in Akron.

In lieu of flowers, Please do not purchase trees - donations may be made in Jan’s name to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Research Center or to the Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

https://www.conservancyforcvnp.org/donate/

https://alzresearch.org/giving/

Arrangements entrusted to Adams Mason Funeral Home (330) 535-9186