Janet “Jan” Delavan, 82

Janet Marcela (D’Andrea) Delavan passed away peacefully while surrounded by her husband, Frank Irvin Delavan and her children, Tamara, Frank and Steven, Nov. 14, 2017, in Meridian, Idaho, after a brief illness. Janet was born June 16, 1935, to Ruth and Tony D’Andrea, in Wardner, Idaho. The family moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, when Janet was eight years old, during the height of WWII. She learned to swim at Buttonhook Bay at Farragut State Park, and lived in Adak, Alaska, at the Adak Naval Operating Base, where her father worked. As she would often say, she was “one of nine teenage girls living amongst a sea of sailors.” Her family returned to Coeur d’Alene in 1949, and Janet attended Coeur d’Alene High School. She was active in the Coeur d’Alene Majorettes and worked at the Wilma Theatre in downtown Coeur d’Alene as an usherette. She met Frank when they were 15, and were high school sweethearts spending date nights at “The Boat” drive-in.

Janet and Frank were married July 14, 1956, at Trinity Lutheran Church, in Coeur d’Alene. The first year of their marriage was spent in Moscow, Idaho, as Frank finished his engineering degree, and soon after they moved to Renton, Wash. In 1958, a daughter, Tamara Lynn Delavan, was born. Following job opportunities, the family of three moved to Upland, in Southern California. Janet loved the Southern California climate, the shopping, spending time by the pool, enjoying the neighbors, playing golf and raising her family. In 1961, Frank Brian was born, and 15 months later another son, Steven, arrived. The family was complete and Janet had her hands full as a stay-at-home mother.

In 1971 the Delavan family moved to Boise, Idaho, and Janet, being an avid golfer, became very active in the Plantation Country Club’s Ladies Golf Association. Janet may have been one of the shortest golfers in the lady’s association but she was one of the leaders of “The Pack,” organizing golf tournaments and skits like ‘The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boys,’ and other activities at the club. In the winter, she enjoyed being an awesome bowler.

Returning to Coeur d’Alene in 1989 to be closer to their parents, they built their dream home close to the Coeur d’Alene Golf Course. The next 20 years of her life was spent playing golf with many of their friends and traveling to Canada and Hawaii for golf. She enjoyed spending time with all of her high school girlfriends planning many of their reunions.

Janet lived and enjoyed life with great wit, laughter and a love for the whimsical, which she continued to share in her later years with friends through her iPad (that dang iPad!). Her sense of humor will be greatly missed.

Janet will be lovingly remembered by her husband of 61 years, Frank; and their three children, Tamara (Bryan) Schmidt, of Eagle, Idaho, Frank B. (Jamie) Delavan, of Boise, Idaho and Steven (Sergio)Delavan, of Los Angeles, Calif ; four grandchildren, Shayne Delavan, Savannah Delavan, Brandon Schmidt and Savannah Dahlgren; two brothers, Douglas D’Andrea, of Coeur d’Alene and Tommy D’Andrea, of Kansas.

A celebration of life memorial service will be scheduled early next spring in Boise, Idaho. Please sign Janet’s guest registry and view her online memorial at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com