Obituary of Jan Liggett

Jan Liggett, 62, died Tuesday June 24th 2014, surrounded by her loving husband and friends. Jan was born May 17, 1952 in Oakland, Ca. to Dr. Donald and Jeanne (McIntosh) Liggett. She attended grade school in Palo Alto and Malaysia where her father led a group of scholars from Stanford U. in establishing the first state university (shortly after the Malaysians gained their independence from the British). There are now 13 universities (one in each state) and 9 sub-campuses with 160,000 students. Jan and her family traveled throughout Asia and Europe where Jan collected a doll from each country. Jan graduated from Grinnell High School in 1970 and the U. of Iowa in Dec. 1973 with a degree in Psychology. Jan started working with juveniles while in college, fostering a girls group home. After graduating she became the director of the Juvenile Court Referral Program (Diversion), where she created a shoplifters program, circa 1980, still used today facilitated by United Action for Youth. Jan continued working with the 6th Judicial District as a Juvenile Court Officer. Jan left probation to work with long- time friend, Dr. Lou Licht, as an administrative assistant for Ecolotree-an environmental engineering firm. Jan returned to working with area youth at United Action for Youth until May of 2013. She touched the lives of many area youth and their families! Jan camped and canoed at an early age, with family camping trips to Yosemite without a tent. She organized woman's canoe trips-the Sea Nymphs-for many years. Jan was a charter member of the girls "Wednesday (arts and crafts) Club" and "The Shopping" girls (shopping optional). Jan's love of adventure and travel was shared by her companion of 30 years, Tim Murphy. Some of their favorite foreign travel sites were Sri Lanka, Borneo, Tioman Island, Malaysia, Jakarta, Bali, Costa Rico, and the beaches of western Mexico. Thank-you to Lori Reece, dear friend (and travel agent) for all your help these many years! Jan and Murph were engaged in the spring of 1988, in Bali, Indonesia and married that fall at Danforth Chapel in Iowa City. Jan enjoyed gardening (especially raising and arranging flowers), mushroom hunting, environmental and wildlife causes and family reunions. Jan loved her animal friends. The Liggett's rescued and raised a baby otter in Malaysia and a fox cub in Grinnell. Jan loved her border-collies, Gussie and Gooner, as well as Murph's cats. She was the #1 support crew member for hundreds of Murph's road races, biathalons and adventure tri's. She was a prolific reader, jig-sawer, daily cross-word and celebrity-cipher solver. A lover of music, Jan enjoyed dancing, rock and roll, blues and especially the Grateful Dead Band, whom she saw perform hundreds of times across the country. She loved preparing holiday meals, especially Thanksgiving when she would feed a house full of people and send them to the hot tub and prepare for the next wave, be it a friend or stranger. Jan was an early supporter of the Emma Goldman clinic and the Crisis Center. She was a proud supporter of the County Johnson Irish and numerous clubs and organizations. Survivors include her husband, Tim Murphy, brother Keith Liggett of Fernie, B.C., Canada, nephew Ross of Chicago, niece Brittany of NYC, special cousin Andrea (Liggett) McCartney and a large extended family. The family wishes to thank everyone for their cards and calls. Special thanks to friends who helped Jan and Murph during Jan's final weeks: An Leonard, Andrea, Sheri Clemmensen, Dyanne and Lorin Dudley, Barb and Craig Carr, Curt and Mary Ritter, Randy Ranshaw, Mike Mahoney and Sandy Shaffer. Thank-you and God Bless to IC Hospice and Mercy Hospital Hospice Unit for your extraordinary and compassionate care. A celebration of life will be held at the Terry Trueblood Recreation area on Sept.27, starting at 3 pm. Memorials may be made to: Memorial tree in Jan's name at Scott church park, IC Animal shelter, UAY or Emma Goldman clinic.