Janet G. Bradner - Obituary

anet (Jan) was born on January 12,1937 to Lloyd and Clara Shumaker in Las Animas, Colorado. Jan moved several times in her early years, and, in her teens, to Alcatraz, where her father served as the Supervisor of the Prison Infirmary. She commuted to San Francisco by ferry, graduated from Galileo High School and later attended the University of San Francisco. After her family moved to Texas, she attended Texas Woman’s University in Denton and graduated with a BA in Education from Texas Western University in El Paso in 1961. Later, she received her Master’s Degree after Texas Western had become The University of Texas, El Paso. She was teaching Elementary School in El Paso when she met her future husband, James Wood Bradner, III (Jim), a U.S. Army Lieutenant stationed at Fort Bliss, and they were married on August 24, 1962, at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in El Paso. After her husband’s service in Vietnam in 1968, the family moved to Hawaii and spent three wonderful years there. In 1972, the family was fortunate to settle near Annapolis in the welcoming Anchorage community. Jan soon found her calling at the Day School of St. Luke’s Episcopal Mission in Eastport, where she served as an assistant, shaping young minds with patience and care. She later joined the Providence Center, where her compassion and dedication led her from Case Manager to Assistant Manager of the Woodshop, helping individuals with disabilities find meaningful employment and purpose. Jan was, at heart, an educator, a nurturer, and a gardener, someone with a remarkable gift for growing both people and plants. Her azaleas were the pride of her garden, blooming with the same quiet strength and beauty that she brought to her work and relationships. Never one to stop learning, Jan challenged herself with daily crosswords, pursued classes in American Sign Language, and even explored print design. Her life was defined by curiosity, kindness, and an unwavering belief in the potential of others. She cherished time with her family, especially during the holidays, and found joy in the simple pleasures of life watching tennis, sharing good meals, and savoring her favorite dish: authentic chile rellenos. In 2023, Jan and Jim moved to the Brightview Senior Living Community in Annapolis, where they made many new friends. In early 2025, Jan contracted a severe cardiac complication and she died peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Jan is survived by her loving husband Jim and her devoted children: daughter Rebecca (David) Gray and her two children Aidan and Emma, and sons Benjamin (Mirta) and his son Jacob and step-daughters Jordan and Riley DeTar, and Christopher (Debbie) and his son and daughter Jack and Zoe. Predeceased by her oldest son, James, but he is survived by his wife Lou and their daughters Pierce and Caroline. Private services with the family will be held at St. James Episcopal Church in Lothian, Maryland, her final resting place. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to the Providence Center (Providence), an organization that continues Jan’s legacy by supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.