Obituary of Janice Casey Monaghan

JANICE CASEY MONAGHAN, R.N., B.Sc.N., M.Sc.Ed.

Peacefully at home on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 after a mercifully brief illness.

Jan Casey was born in 1932 outside of Mitchell, South Dakota, the youngest of seven children.  She was predeceased by her parents Agnes and Edward Casey, her siblings Ed, Jerry, Virginia, Jack and Dennis and is survived by her sister Delores Kovarik of Denver.  She leaves her husband of sixty years Ben, her daughters Maureen and Kelly, her beloved grand-daughter Laura Casey Buttke, Casey’s father Bob Buttke, more than fifty nieces and nephews and friends near and far.

Jan entered the R.N. program at 17 and was graduated:  as a Registered Nurse from Creighton Memorial Saint Joseph Hospital School of Nursing in Omaha, Nebraska; with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Creighton University in Omaha and with a Master of Science at Boston College.  At the ripe old age of 24 Jan joined the nursing faculty of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. 

After an invitation to a party hosted by some U of M hockey players, a Canadian redhead named Ben charmed Jan into a date and then another, and they were married in 1959.  The newlyweds moved to Sudbury, Ontario where Jan worked as a nursing instructor.  After Mo was born and they moved to Toronto, Jan joined the University of Toronto where she worked as a professor of med-surg nursing until her retirement in 1996.

Jan loved many things – being “Shanna” to her favourite grandchild (and namesake) Casey, her American roots, good scotch, a fast wit, Dairy Queen Blizzards, making “to do” lists, her gun license, treasured friends, an organized toolbox, planting trees at the cottage and many more varied interests consistent with a modern-day renaissance woman.

Jan’s laugh was loud and memorable and she loved sharing it with her family and friends.  Her wonderful sense of humour and ability to laugh at life is a treasured gift that she gave to us all.  Her generosity will continue long after she is gone via the bursary that she established for single parent students at Woodsworth College, U of T. 

One of Jan’s many memorable phrases was “GOD LOVE YA!”   There is no doubt that, after her long, blessed and generous life, God loves her.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, July 22ndat 1:00 p.m. in Blessed Sacrament Church, 24 Cheritan Avenue (1 block south of Lawrence), Toronto. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Jan Monaghan Award at Woodsworth College, University of Toronto or to a charity of your choice.  Condolences may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com.