Janice (Hegge) Quanbeck

Janice Ruth (Hegge) Quanbeck is celebrated and remembered with deep love. The younger daughter of Herman and Ruth Hegge, Jan was born on February 2, 1950, in Tacoma, WA. Janice passed away on August 12, 2024, after a brief and intense journey with complex ALS. She was a woman of strength and grace, leaving behind a legacy of service, generosity, and devotion to others.

Jan's life path brought her to far-flung places, from her childhood in Washington State to Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and California, as well as several years in the country of Madagascar, partnering with the work of the Malagasy Lutheran Church. There she courageously and creatively worked to learn the language and culture, and she created a welcoming home for her family and numerous guests. Janice's vocational path began as a teacher, and over time she channeled her gifts of patience and detail into roles as a treasurer and accountant. She completed her professional career as an auditor in the VA hospital system in Long Beach, CA, where she worked for many years until her retirement in 2018.

Janice's love for the beauty of nature was a constant theme in her life, nurtured in childhood through family camping trips in the Pacific Northwest and picnics on Mt. Rainier. The Huntington Gardens and Crystal Cove State Park in California, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and Como Park Conservatory were places she especially loved in recent years. She enjoyed beautiful textiles and was an accomplished sewist and quilter, pouring creativity and generosity into every piece. A gifted flutist, Jan also deeply appreciated the musical gifts of others, from the organ and choir at her Episcopal congregation in California to her grandchildren's band, choir, and orchestra concerts.

Janice was known for her hosting and cooking abilities, bringing joy to those around her through shared meals, warm hospitality, and her bright spirit. Later in life, Jan developed an interest in photography and loved capturing the beauty of nature and the world around her. She enjoyed travel, thoughtfully taking in the history and culture of the places she visited. In recent years, trips to the Holy Land and Italy were especially meaningful.

Above all, Jan treasured her role as a mother and grandmother, cherishing her relationships with her beloved daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren, to whom she was Neny, and prioritizing them even across the miles. Her memory is a deep blessing and inspiration to those she held most dear.

Janice was preceded in death by her parents, Herman and Ruth Hegge, whom she lovingly cared for in their later years. She is survived by her children, Cheri (Daryl) Hanson and Joanna Quanbeck, and their father, Larry Quanbeck; grandchildren Elias, Alaric/Mia, and Adria; sister Carolyn Borseth; several nieces, nephews, and cousins; and her dear friend John Schleif.

A memorial service to honor Jan's life will be held at Christ Church Lutheran, 3244 34th Avenue South, Minneapolis, on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 2:00 pm, with visitation one hour prior and a light reception following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to two causes close to Janice's heart: Lutheran World Relief or the food, shelter, and refugee ministries of All Saints' Episcopal Church of Beverly Hills.