A graveside service for Jan Fitzgerald Masso, 71, of Athens, is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, at Athens Cemetery with Rev. Joanne Elston officiating. A celebration of her life will follow at McNair Farm, 2001 Mill Run Road, in Athens.
Jan passed away at home on December 2, 2021 after a hard-fought battle with cancer. She was born on November 13, 1950, in Tyler, to Joe Powell Fitzgerald and Betty Jean Barton Fitzgerald. At Joe's insistence, they named her "Jan" since they had been married in January. Jan grew up in Chandler and Brownsboro, where she helped raise younger siblings Ann, Nan, and Joey, who lovingly called their older sister "sarge." At Brownsboro High School, she was a majorette and proud member of the Class of 1969. (Reconnecting with her Class of '69 "Sisters" in later years was a bright light in Jan's life.)
Jan attended Trinity Valley Community College (then Henderson County Junior College), where she was a Cardette officer, before graduating from Texas Tech University with an education degree. It was at Texas Tech, walking to class, where she met Joe Masso. They married in Brownsboro in 1973. After short stints living in San Francisco and Dallas, where they welcomed baby boy Jadd, Jan and Joe settled in Athens and opened Cowtown Western Wear in 1977. Baby girl Jill arrived in 1980.
Jan had a passion for educating young children. She taught kindergarten at Methodist Children's Center where she later served as director. Jan then started a pre-kindergarten program for underprivileged children in the Athens public schools which is still in existence today. She went on to teach future educators in the Early Childhood Education Department of her beloved alma mater, TVCC, for nearly twenty years.
Though always a teacher, her real passion was being mom to Jadd and Jill and "Janny" to her four grandchildren, her niece and nephews, and her countless other "adopted" kids, including her children's friends, neighbors, and even her oncologist at M.D. Anderson. Jan loved creating a magical Christmas each year for her family and donning her iconic witch's hat each Halloween to hand out candy on her front porch. She delighted in sneaking "bed gifts" onto the pillows of her grandchildren when they spent the night and reading book after book to them to share her love of reading. Jan cherished annual family trips to Galveston where so many special memories were made with her parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, niece and nephews, and later great niece and nephew. She took pride in teaching the younger generations how to make the Fitzgerald "drizzle" sandcastles that her grandmother had taught her to make.
Jan was absolutely devoted to Joe Masso, the love of her life and her best friend, rock, nurse, and constant companion for 48 years of marriage. With Joe, she enjoyed vacationing on sunny beaches, going on cruises to exotic locales, sitting on "Joe Fitzgerald's pew" at First United Methodist Church of Brownsboro on Sunday mornings, and dreaming up ways to spoil their grandkids.
Jan's warmth, wit, elegance, and optimism made her friends wherever she went and loved by so many. To be loved by Jan Masso meant that you were loved unconditionally, would be cared for as if you were kin, and would always–without a doubt–get a birthday card in the mail on your birthday.
Jan is survived by her husband, Joe Masso, of Athens; son Jadd Masso and wife Christina of Dallas; daughter Jill Masso Blanton and husband Gene of Dallas; sister Ann Neill of Mexia; sister Nan Ramsey and husband Scott of Cedar Hill; brother Joey Fitzgerald and wife Angie of Athens
Jan passed away at home on December 2, 2021 after a hard-fought battle with cancer. She was born on November 13, 1950, in Tyler, to Joe Powell Fitzgerald and Betty Jean Barton Fitzgerald. At Joe's insistence, they named her "Jan" since they had been married in January. Jan grew up in Chandler and Brownsboro, where she helped raise younger siblings Ann, Nan, and Joey, who lovingly called their older sister "sarge." At Brownsboro High School, she was a majorette and proud member of the Class of 1969. (Reconnecting with her Class of '69 "Sisters" in later years was a bright light in Jan's life.)
Jan attended Trinity Valley Community College (then Henderson County Junior College), where she was a Cardette officer, before graduating from Texas Tech University with an education degree. It was at Texas Tech, walking to class, where she met Joe Masso. They married in Brownsboro in 1973. After short stints living in San Francisco and Dallas, where they welcomed baby boy Jadd, Jan and Joe settled in Athens and opened Cowtown Western Wear in 1977. Baby girl Jill arrived in 1980.
Jan had a passion for educating young children. She taught kindergarten at Methodist Children's Center where she later served as director. Jan then started a pre-kindergarten program for underprivileged children in the Athens public schools which is still in existence today. She went on to teach future educators in the Early Childhood Education Department of her beloved alma mater, TVCC, for nearly twenty years.
Though always a teacher, her real passion was being mom to Jadd and Jill and "Janny" to her four grandchildren, her niece and nephews, and her countless other "adopted" kids, including her children's friends, neighbors, and even her oncologist at M.D. Anderson. Jan loved creating a magical Christmas each year for her family and donning her iconic witch's hat each Halloween to hand out candy on her front porch. She delighted in sneaking "bed gifts" onto the pillows of her grandchildren when they spent the night and reading book after book to them to share her love of reading. Jan cherished annual family trips to Galveston where so many special memories were made with her parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, niece and nephews, and later great niece and nephew. She took pride in teaching the younger generations how to make the Fitzgerald "drizzle" sandcastles that her grandmother had taught her to make.
Jan was absolutely devoted to Joe Masso, the love of her life and her best friend, rock, nurse, and constant companion for 48 years of marriage. With Joe, she enjoyed vacationing on sunny beaches, going on cruises to exotic locales, sitting on "Joe Fitzgerald's pew" at First United Methodist Church of Brownsboro on Sunday mornings, and dreaming up ways to spoil their grandkids.
Jan's warmth, wit, elegance, and optimism made her friends wherever she went and loved by so many. To be loved by Jan Masso meant that you were loved unconditionally, would be cared for as if you were kin, and would always–without a doubt–get a birthday card in the mail on your birthday.
Jan is survived by her husband, Joe Masso, of Athens; son Jadd Masso and wife Christina of Dallas; daughter Jill Masso Blanton and husband Gene of Dallas; sister Ann Neill of Mexia; sister Nan Ramsey and husband Scott of Cedar Hill; brother Joey Fitzgerald and wife Angie of Athens
A graveside service for Jan Fitzgerald Masso, 71, of Athens, is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, at Athens Cemetery with Rev. Joanne Elston officiating. A celebration of her life will follow at McNair Farm, 2001 Mill Run Road, in Athens.
Jan passed away at home on December 2, 2021 after a hard-fought battle with cancer. She was born on November 13, 1950, in Tyler, to Joe Powell Fitzgerald and Betty Jean Barton Fitzgerald. At Joe's insistence, they named her "Jan" since they had been married in January. Jan grew up in Chandler and Brownsboro, where she helped raise younger siblings Ann, Nan, and Joey, who lovingly called their older sister "sarge." At Brownsboro High School, she was a majorette and proud member of the Class of 1969. (Reconnecting with her Class of '69 "Sisters" in later years was a bright light in Jan's life.)
Jan attended Trinity Valley Community College (then Henderson County Junior College), where she was a Cardette officer, before graduating from Texas Tech University with an education degree. It was at Texas Tech, walking to class, where she met Joe Masso. They married in Brownsboro in 1973. After short stints living in San Francisco and Dallas, where they welcomed baby boy Jadd, Jan and Joe settled in Athens and opened Cowtown Western Wear in 1977. Baby girl Jill arrived in 1980.
Jan had a passion for educating young children. She taught kindergarten at Methodist Children's Center where she later served as director. Jan then started a pre-kindergarten program for underprivileged children in the Athens public schools which is still in existence today. She went on to teach future educators in the Early Childhood Education Department of her beloved alma mater, TVCC, for nearly twenty years.
Though always a teacher, her real passion was being mom to Jadd and Jill and "Janny" to her four grandchildren, her niece and nephews, and her countless other "adopted" kids, including her children's friends, neighbors, and even her oncologist at M.D. Anderson. Jan loved creating a magical Christmas each year for her family and donning her iconic witch's hat each Halloween to hand out candy on her front porch. She delighted in sneaking "bed gifts" onto the pillows of her grandchildren when they spent the night and reading book after book to them to share her love of reading. Jan cherished annual family trips to Galveston where so many special memories were made with her parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, niece and nephews, and later great niece and nephew. She took pride in teaching the younger generations how to make the Fitzgerald "drizzle" sandcastles that her grandmother had taught her to make.
Jan was absolutely devoted to Joe Masso, the love of her life and her best friend, rock, nurse, and constant companion for 48 years of marriage. With Joe, she enjoyed vacationing on sunny beaches, going on cruises to exotic locales, sitting on "Joe Fitzgerald's pew" at First United Methodist Church of Brownsboro on Sunday mornings, and dreaming up ways to spoil their grandkids.
Jan's warmth, wit, elegance, and optimism made her friends wherever she went and loved by so many. To be loved by Jan Masso meant that you were loved unconditionally, would be cared for as if you were kin, and would always–without a doubt–get a birthday card in the mail on your birthday.
Jan is survived by her husband, Joe Masso, of Athens; son Jadd Masso and wife Christina of Dallas; daughter Jill Masso Blanton and husband Gene of Dallas; sister Ann Neill of Mexia; sister Nan Ramsey and husband Scott of Cedar Hill; brother Joey Fitzgerald and wife Angie of Athens
Jan passed away at home on December 2, 2021 after a hard-fought battle with cancer. She was born on November 13, 1950, in Tyler, to Joe Powell Fitzgerald and Betty Jean Barton Fitzgerald. At Joe's insistence, they named her "Jan" since they had been married in January. Jan grew up in Chandler and Brownsboro, where she helped raise younger siblings Ann, Nan, and Joey, who lovingly called their older sister "sarge." At Brownsboro High School, she was a majorette and proud member of the Class of 1969. (Reconnecting with her Class of '69 "Sisters" in later years was a bright light in Jan's life.)
Jan attended Trinity Valley Community College (then Henderson County Junior College), where she was a Cardette officer, before graduating from Texas Tech University with an education degree. It was at Texas Tech, walking to class, where she met Joe Masso. They married in Brownsboro in 1973. After short stints living in San Francisco and Dallas, where they welcomed baby boy Jadd, Jan and Joe settled in Athens and opened Cowtown Western Wear in 1977. Baby girl Jill arrived in 1980.
Jan had a passion for educating young children. She taught kindergarten at Methodist Children's Center where she later served as director. Jan then started a pre-kindergarten program for underprivileged children in the Athens public schools which is still in existence today. She went on to teach future educators in the Early Childhood Education Department of her beloved alma mater, TVCC, for nearly twenty years.
Though always a teacher, her real passion was being mom to Jadd and Jill and "Janny" to her four grandchildren, her niece and nephews, and her countless other "adopted" kids, including her children's friends, neighbors, and even her oncologist at M.D. Anderson. Jan loved creating a magical Christmas each year for her family and donning her iconic witch's hat each Halloween to hand out candy on her front porch. She delighted in sneaking "bed gifts" onto the pillows of her grandchildren when they spent the night and reading book after book to them to share her love of reading. Jan cherished annual family trips to Galveston where so many special memories were made with her parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, niece and nephews, and later great niece and nephew. She took pride in teaching the younger generations how to make the Fitzgerald "drizzle" sandcastles that her grandmother had taught her to make.
Jan was absolutely devoted to Joe Masso, the love of her life and her best friend, rock, nurse, and constant companion for 48 years of marriage. With Joe, she enjoyed vacationing on sunny beaches, going on cruises to exotic locales, sitting on "Joe Fitzgerald's pew" at First United Methodist Church of Brownsboro on Sunday mornings, and dreaming up ways to spoil their grandkids.
Jan's warmth, wit, elegance, and optimism made her friends wherever she went and loved by so many. To be loved by Jan Masso meant that you were loved unconditionally, would be cared for as if you were kin, and would always–without a doubt–get a birthday card in the mail on your birthday.
Jan is survived by her husband, Joe Masso, of Athens; son Jadd Masso and wife Christina of Dallas; daughter Jill Masso Blanton and husband Gene of Dallas; sister Ann Neill of Mexia; sister Nan Ramsey and husband Scott of Cedar Hill; brother Joey Fitzgerald and wife Angie of Athens
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