In Memoriam: Janet Duncan

It is with great sadness for us to inform you that Janet Duncan, former English Department Office Manager and Staff Supervisor, passed away on May 7, 2018.

Janet is to be given much credit for bringing stability to the Main English Office after a period of some upheaval. She was well organized, receptive to new ideas, and respectful in her dealings with others, and she earned the admiration of the staff. She was also quite involved with the early planning of the department’s move to Tawes, so that the beautiful building that we now occupy was the result of a long process in which Janet had a formative hand. She appreciated the social dimension of the MEO, and she was always fun to be around. Janet was a native Californian who had graduated from UC Berkeley. Perhaps not surprisingly, she loved to talk politics and after her retirement was involved in local politics and progressive causes. She was pre-deceased by her husband Dave and is survived by her three children, Mark, Cheryl, and Michael, and their partners and children. Janet was extremely devoted to her grandchildren, giving them turns at being her companion on exotic trips, like safaris in Africa. She was a wonderful colleague and good friend to faculty and staff in the Department of English.