Janet S. Byington passed away peacefully at home on September 28, 2023 at the age of 87. Throughout a short illness that shocked the entire family, she awed everyone with the grace and kindness with which she maneuvered through hospital, home and hospice care. If you knew Jan, you wouldn't be a bit surprised by this.
A native of Harrison and Platte counties in Missouri, Jan attended the University of Missouri - Columbia, where she studied art history. Her appreciation of beauty, the arts and the world of words was a thread woven throughout her life. She wore classic clothing like it was designed for her, and her children often brought her in on dress and décor decisions. She maintained a list of British procedural detective shows on PBS that she could not miss. Through her adulthood, she was the kind of avid, informed newspaper reader of whom publishers dream. As a librarian in Columbia, MO and in Jamestown, NY, Jan eagerly guided others to the treasures to be found in books and eagerly read each of the many - MANY - books with which she surrounded herself at home. Any recipe she made from her cookbook collection was the best thing ever tasted. If Jan's life was a book, it would be filled with stories of family who placed her on a hug-height pedestal, friends who loved her kindness and hospitality, travels to beautiful places across the U.S., in Canada and overseas, and countless notes in the margins that document the beauty of her smile, the niceness she scattered like currency and the sweetness of her way in the world.
Jan was preceded into her next chapter by her husband of 64 years, Jim Byington (who she met at Mizzou and whose sense of humor was her anchor), her parents - Archie and Evalee (Bolar) McCoy (yes, she was a real McCoy) and too many loving family and friends she missed through the years.
The list of those who will miss and always love her the most begins with her five daughters - Jordan Skouby (Tim), Jamie Byington (Susan Godoy), Juliet Holden, Jana Byington-Smith (Robin) and Jennifer Geistler (Perry). It's a long list, though, and also includes the 12 souls who call her Grandma or MarMar - Jimmy, Jillian (Chris), Joe (Caton), Jon, Nicholas, Andrew, Clara, Alice, Jack, Mick, Addie and Amie - plus great granddaughters Elisabeth and Evelyn Sage. No one could listen to a child's story, make buttered noodles, stock up on Skittles and Tater Tots or get a grandchild to sleep with the famous "Baby Death-Grip" like MarMar.
Jan is also survived by her brother James McCoy (Wanda), who she bedeviled in childhood but loved to the end. Unnamed here but no less loved by Jan are the many cousins, nieces, nephews, "faux" children, friends and others who have been characters in her story and who are firmly on the list of those who will miss her.
Inurnment with Jim at Jefferson Barracks will take place in the coming days with immediate family, due to space restrictions. A gathering of remembrance will take place in the next few months, at which we hope to share stories about Jan … and maybe some stories we never wanted Jan to find out about.
In Jan's memory, please consider making a gift to the St. Louis County Library Foundation (foundation.slcl.org) or to Circle of Concern Food Pantry (circleofconcern.org), where she last volunteered with her whole heart.
More than anything else, please honor Jan's kindness by doing a kindness for someone who doesn't expect it. Jan believed that caring for others, one at a time, will heal the world. She would be so touched to know that she had a hand in making life better for others.
A native of Harrison and Platte counties in Missouri, Jan attended the University of Missouri - Columbia, where she studied art history. Her appreciation of beauty, the arts and the world of words was a thread woven throughout her life. She wore classic clothing like it was designed for her, and her children often brought her in on dress and décor decisions. She maintained a list of British procedural detective shows on PBS that she could not miss. Through her adulthood, she was the kind of avid, informed newspaper reader of whom publishers dream. As a librarian in Columbia, MO and in Jamestown, NY, Jan eagerly guided others to the treasures to be found in books and eagerly read each of the many - MANY - books with which she surrounded herself at home. Any recipe she made from her cookbook collection was the best thing ever tasted. If Jan's life was a book, it would be filled with stories of family who placed her on a hug-height pedestal, friends who loved her kindness and hospitality, travels to beautiful places across the U.S., in Canada and overseas, and countless notes in the margins that document the beauty of her smile, the niceness she scattered like currency and the sweetness of her way in the world.
Jan was preceded into her next chapter by her husband of 64 years, Jim Byington (who she met at Mizzou and whose sense of humor was her anchor), her parents - Archie and Evalee (Bolar) McCoy (yes, she was a real McCoy) and too many loving family and friends she missed through the years.
The list of those who will miss and always love her the most begins with her five daughters - Jordan Skouby (Tim), Jamie Byington (Susan Godoy), Juliet Holden, Jana Byington-Smith (Robin) and Jennifer Geistler (Perry). It's a long list, though, and also includes the 12 souls who call her Grandma or MarMar - Jimmy, Jillian (Chris), Joe (Caton), Jon, Nicholas, Andrew, Clara, Alice, Jack, Mick, Addie and Amie - plus great granddaughters Elisabeth and Evelyn Sage. No one could listen to a child's story, make buttered noodles, stock up on Skittles and Tater Tots or get a grandchild to sleep with the famous "Baby Death-Grip" like MarMar.
Jan is also survived by her brother James McCoy (Wanda), who she bedeviled in childhood but loved to the end. Unnamed here but no less loved by Jan are the many cousins, nieces, nephews, "faux" children, friends and others who have been characters in her story and who are firmly on the list of those who will miss her.
Inurnment with Jim at Jefferson Barracks will take place in the coming days with immediate family, due to space restrictions. A gathering of remembrance will take place in the next few months, at which we hope to share stories about Jan … and maybe some stories we never wanted Jan to find out about.
In Jan's memory, please consider making a gift to the St. Louis County Library Foundation (foundation.slcl.org) or to Circle of Concern Food Pantry (circleofconcern.org), where she last volunteered with her whole heart.
More than anything else, please honor Jan's kindness by doing a kindness for someone who doesn't expect it. Jan believed that caring for others, one at a time, will heal the world. She would be so touched to know that she had a hand in making life better for others.
Janet S. Byington passed away peacefully at home on September 28, 2023 at the age of 87. Throughout a short illness that shocked the entire family, she awed everyone with the grace and kindness with which she maneuvered through hospital, home and hospice care. If you knew Jan, you wouldn't be a bit surprised by this.
A native of Harrison and Platte counties in Missouri, Jan attended the University of Missouri - Columbia, where she studied art history. Her appreciation of beauty, the arts and the world of words was a thread woven throughout her life. She wore classic clothing like it was designed for her, and her children often brought her in on dress and décor decisions. She maintained a list of British procedural detective shows on PBS that she could not miss. Through her adulthood, she was the kind of avid, informed newspaper reader of whom publishers dream. As a librarian in Columbia, MO and in Jamestown, NY, Jan eagerly guided others to the treasures to be found in books and eagerly read each of the many - MANY - books with which she surrounded herself at home. Any recipe she made from her cookbook collection was the best thing ever tasted. If Jan's life was a book, it would be filled with stories of family who placed her on a hug-height pedestal, friends who loved her kindness and hospitality, travels to beautiful places across the U.S., in Canada and overseas, and countless notes in the margins that document the beauty of her smile, the niceness she scattered like currency and the sweetness of her way in the world.
Jan was preceded into her next chapter by her husband of 64 years, Jim Byington (who she met at Mizzou and whose sense of humor was her anchor), her parents - Archie and Evalee (Bolar) McCoy (yes, she was a real McCoy) and too many loving family and friends she missed through the years.
The list of those who will miss and always love her the most begins with her five daughters - Jordan Skouby (Tim), Jamie Byington (Susan Godoy), Juliet Holden, Jana Byington-Smith (Robin) and Jennifer Geistler (Perry). It's a long list, though, and also includes the 12 souls who call her Grandma or MarMar - Jimmy, Jillian (Chris), Joe (Caton), Jon, Nicholas, Andrew, Clara, Alice, Jack, Mick, Addie and Amie - plus great granddaughters Elisabeth and Evelyn Sage. No one could listen to a child's story, make buttered noodles, stock up on Skittles and Tater Tots or get a grandchild to sleep with the famous "Baby Death-Grip" like MarMar.
Jan is also survived by her brother James McCoy (Wanda), who she bedeviled in childhood but loved to the end. Unnamed here but no less loved by Jan are the many cousins, nieces, nephews, "faux" children, friends and others who have been characters in her story and who are firmly on the list of those who will miss her.
Inurnment with Jim at Jefferson Barracks will take place in the coming days with immediate family, due to space restrictions. A gathering of remembrance will take place in the next few months, at which we hope to share stories about Jan … and maybe some stories we never wanted Jan to find out about.
In Jan's memory, please consider making a gift to the St. Louis County Library Foundation (foundation.slcl.org) or to Circle of Concern Food Pantry (circleofconcern.org), where she last volunteered with her whole heart.
More than anything else, please honor Jan's kindness by doing a kindness for someone who doesn't expect it. Jan believed that caring for others, one at a time, will heal the world. She would be so touched to know that she had a hand in making life better for others.
A native of Harrison and Platte counties in Missouri, Jan attended the University of Missouri - Columbia, where she studied art history. Her appreciation of beauty, the arts and the world of words was a thread woven throughout her life. She wore classic clothing like it was designed for her, and her children often brought her in on dress and décor decisions. She maintained a list of British procedural detective shows on PBS that she could not miss. Through her adulthood, she was the kind of avid, informed newspaper reader of whom publishers dream. As a librarian in Columbia, MO and in Jamestown, NY, Jan eagerly guided others to the treasures to be found in books and eagerly read each of the many - MANY - books with which she surrounded herself at home. Any recipe she made from her cookbook collection was the best thing ever tasted. If Jan's life was a book, it would be filled with stories of family who placed her on a hug-height pedestal, friends who loved her kindness and hospitality, travels to beautiful places across the U.S., in Canada and overseas, and countless notes in the margins that document the beauty of her smile, the niceness she scattered like currency and the sweetness of her way in the world.
Jan was preceded into her next chapter by her husband of 64 years, Jim Byington (who she met at Mizzou and whose sense of humor was her anchor), her parents - Archie and Evalee (Bolar) McCoy (yes, she was a real McCoy) and too many loving family and friends she missed through the years.
The list of those who will miss and always love her the most begins with her five daughters - Jordan Skouby (Tim), Jamie Byington (Susan Godoy), Juliet Holden, Jana Byington-Smith (Robin) and Jennifer Geistler (Perry). It's a long list, though, and also includes the 12 souls who call her Grandma or MarMar - Jimmy, Jillian (Chris), Joe (Caton), Jon, Nicholas, Andrew, Clara, Alice, Jack, Mick, Addie and Amie - plus great granddaughters Elisabeth and Evelyn Sage. No one could listen to a child's story, make buttered noodles, stock up on Skittles and Tater Tots or get a grandchild to sleep with the famous "Baby Death-Grip" like MarMar.
Jan is also survived by her brother James McCoy (Wanda), who she bedeviled in childhood but loved to the end. Unnamed here but no less loved by Jan are the many cousins, nieces, nephews, "faux" children, friends and others who have been characters in her story and who are firmly on the list of those who will miss her.
Inurnment with Jim at Jefferson Barracks will take place in the coming days with immediate family, due to space restrictions. A gathering of remembrance will take place in the next few months, at which we hope to share stories about Jan … and maybe some stories we never wanted Jan to find out about.
In Jan's memory, please consider making a gift to the St. Louis County Library Foundation (foundation.slcl.org) or to Circle of Concern Food Pantry (circleofconcern.org), where she last volunteered with her whole heart.
More than anything else, please honor Jan's kindness by doing a kindness for someone who doesn't expect it. Jan believed that caring for others, one at a time, will heal the world. She would be so touched to know that she had a hand in making life better for others.
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