Janice Suzanne Butsch

Janice Suzanne Geppert Butsch, 74 passed away 8/21/17, at Willow Creek Adult Family Home in Port Orchard, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.
Jan was born June 8, 1943, in Tacoma to parents, Bill and Ann Geppert. Jan was a long-time resident of Tacoma, and was a special education teacher with the Tacoma Public School District for a number of years. After her retirement, Jan lived in Port Orchard, with her husband Richard Butsch.
Jan was a beautiful soul who always thought of others first. As a child, she enjoyed dance lessons, and in high school took delight in being a member of the ski club, and was selected as a “Song Queen” for the school’s pep staff and was a member of the school’s synchronized swim group known as the Aqua Maids. She received her Bachelors of Education from UPS and her Masters in School Administration from PLU. Jan was principal of Remann Hall in Tacoma where she helped others, loved her special needs students and the youth who spent their time there, always seeing their potential.
Jan enjoyed her home in Port Orchard, and also loved spending half the year in Sun Valley, Idaho. As a child she would spend the warm days on Anderson Island bird hunting with dad in the duck blind, accompanied by Chink, the family hunting dog. Along with personal hobbies of golf, skiing, listening to country music that told a story, gardening and drawing, Jan also enjoyed her social gatherings with the cousins, the yearly Demko picnic, and family gatherings at Christmas. She loved seeing many parts of the U.S. on motorcycle – especially the motorcycle ride to Washington DC with Rich on Run for the Wall.
Survivors include her husband Rich, sons John, Paul and Robert McCracken, step-daughters Linsey Butsch Emmons and Kara Butsch-Nolte, brother Bob Geppert, and sister JoAnn Schmidtke.
A Rosary for Jan will be held at 1:30 PM with a Funeral Mass at 2:00 PM, with reception to follow at St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Port Orchard (1150 Mitchell Ave). There will be a private family interment at a later date. Online memorial and tribute wall may be accessed at www.rill.com .