Grand Haven Mens Golf Assoc.

Jan was the oldest boy and second child in a family of 5 siblings. They all were born and raised in Chillicothe, OH, a small city just south of Columbus. Jan attended public schools in Chillicothe and participated in baseball and basketball throughout his years there. He was introduced to golf during his junior year in high school when his uncle asked him to assist in cleaning out his garage and together they found an old set of golf clubs that were destined for a future at the city dump. Jan rescued the clubs and consequently had the tools to begin playing and a long love for the game ensued.

Following high school he enrolled in The University of Cincinnati and graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He later earned his MBA (Finance) at The University of Iowa. He also earned his license as a Registered Professional Engineer in NJ.

Jan married his best friend and the love of his life, Rebecca, during the spring prior to his senior year in college and was a “kept man” for the next year as he attended classes and Rebecca “brought home the bacon.” They had been good friends since 8th grade, but that friendship really blossomed during college years. Visiting Rebecca at The Ohio State University or during home weekends presented logistical challenges they were determined to overcome. It was worth the effort as they are now just 6 months from celebrating their golden anniversary.

Upon Jan’s graduation they decided to move to New York City for his first job at Ebasco Services and Rebecca worked for Engelhard Industries near their new home in Metuchen, NJ. For the next two years, having no children and two salaries allowed for enjoying many new adventures in the “Big Apple.” When their daughter, Stephanie, was born life changed, and they devoted their entire attention to being parents. Rebecca “retired” and Jan soon changed jobs, joining Western Electric Co. Four years later their son, Todd, arrived and completed their family. They now live in West Point, NY and Manhattan Beach, CA, respectively, and make those moments with them and with our 3 grandchildren both occasional and precious.

After 8 years in the NY metro area, the fascination had begun to wear off, and the lure of professional growth, more responsibility, greater compensation, and living in the Midwest again were all too attractive, and Jan joined Deere & Company in Moline, IL and stayed for a delightful 13 years while continuing in increasingly challenging engineering and management roles. He also volunteered for several community charitable endeavors and worked with the youth sports programs in which his children were active. As the agricultural and industrial equipment sectors were in an extended recession throughout the 1980’s, growth opportunities were disappearing, and Jan grew restless and accepted an opportunity at Union Camp Corporation in Savannah, GA. This was a new experience for their family and the first experience of living in the Deep South. They loved it! Jan spent 11 challenging and rewarding years with Union Camp, including 2-1/2 years in the International Division with extensive travel and assignment in both Western Europe and South America. When Union Camp was taken over by International Paper, Jan retired for about a month and then relocated to Johnson Controls in Columbia, SC, and thence again 2 years later to Campbell Soup in NJ for the remaining 9 years of his career.

Jan and Rebecca spent vacations during each of their last 3 working years visiting communities in the southeast investigating the location of their next home for their post-working phase of life. Their experiences in Savannah convinced them that the southeast was for them. Rebecca wanted the ocean beach and Jan the golf course and Grand Haven fit their desires perfectly. They departed NJ on the day of Jan’s retirement and arrived as new residents of FL on January 1, 2011. Their 5 years here have been all that were anticipated, and they pinch themselves every day about “another day in paradise.” Playing golf and being active in the MGA have kept Jan busy and serving on the Board in 4 different jobs the past 4 years has been a true pleasure. He casually remarked “I’m still looking for something I can be good at!

Jan has been an asset to our community with his tireless efforts to grow our golf membership and improve the quality as we move forward. His sincere concern for our members and neighbors does not go unnoticed. Next time you see Jan, congratulate him on being named “ SPOTLIGHT GOLFER FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2016”.