Encouragement, care and a knack for listening. Janice Beryl Ferrari (Bjurstrom) seemed to be brought into
this world to provide a lifetime of support to others; a career in nursing and decades of unwavering
love and support of her husband’s career. She was a strong presence in her children’s lives through
letter writing, phone calls, sending care packages and showing up on their every ‘move-in day’ clad with
cleaning supplies to make their new spaces sparkle.
Jan was born in Cheswick, PA in the winter of 1943 where she swore she remembers sitting in her high
chair as a toddler. Growing up as somewhat of a tomboy, she boasted about climbing the town’s water
purification tower. Her most fond memories as a young girl were spending summers with her family at
Conneaut Lake at their cottage, aptly named ‘The Garden Spot of the World’. The cottage was rented out
in the early part of the summers and Jan loved cleaning alongside her mother between each new group of
guests.
Jan attended Ringgold High School, where she was a majorette and most importantly became immediately
smitten with Mickey Ferrari, 3 years her senior. After Mick graduated high school and boarded a
greyhound bus to Michigan State University, Jan kept up with Mick by writing letters. After high school
she attended a three-year program at Presbyterian University Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh,
PA, emerging as a Registered Nurse. Jan and Mick kept in touch through college and Jan remembers making
calendars that she hung in her dorm room displaying a countdown of ‘how many days until Mickey day’ when
they would temporarily be reunited.
Just days after her graduation the two were married in September of 1964 and moved to Cincinnati where
she started her nursing career at Christ Hospital making $4,000/yr salary for full time work. She and
Mick then moved to East Lansing, Michigan where their daughter was born, then to Kent, Ohio where they
welcomed their son. Hopping from Bowling Green, Ohio, to Dayton, Ohio to Des Moines, Iowa to Fort Worth,
Texas, Jan’s nursing career was eventually eclipsed by her desire to support her husband’s passionate
work on university campuses. Jan’s role as a college president’s wife came naturally and was a source of
pride and her top priority.
Jan’s happiest times were when she and her husband would spend their winter months in Scottsdale, Arizona
planting flowers, taking walks and enjoying margaritas in the sun.
After 5 years in Fort Worth, Jan and her husband moved to Lake Forest, IL to be back in the Midwest
closer to their seven grandkids. Just 2 years after her husband’s 5-year battle with pancreatic cancer
of which Jan was his full time caregiver, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Her cause of death
was a complication of this disease. On the morning of July 2, 2020, Jan passed away peacefully in Lake
Forest at the age of 77. Her infectious and playful silliness will continue to live on as her legacy.
Jan was preceded in death by her husband Michael Richard Ferrari, Jr., parents Carl Albert and Vera
Zimmerly Bjurstrom, and sister Judith Price (Joseph). She is survived by her daughter Elizabeth (James)
Masterson and son Michael (Jennifer) Ferrari III, and was loving ‘Nana’ to her seven grandchildren Vera,
Bella, Maeve, Mickey, Seamus, Charlie and Henry.
She will be laid to rest beside her husband in Lake Forest Cemetery at a private burial with immediate
family and her two devoted caregivers. Info: Wenban Funeral Home, Lake Forest, (847) 234-0022 or
www.wenbanfh.com
