Janice “Jan” Geraldine Kruszynski Loos, 87, of Ft. Pierce, Florida, passed peacefully, surrounded by family, on August 10, 2026. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, teacher, and friend. Her youthful essence, quick wit, and love for all will be missed.

Jan was born in Cheektowaga, NY, and raised in Perry, NY. She spent most of her adulthood in Greece, NY, and settled in Ft. Pierce, Florida, in retirement. Jan attended Perry High School, where she scholastically ranked 7^th amongst her class of 66 seniors.

She furthered her education at the State University of New York at Buffalo, earning both her bachelor’s and master’s in education. She served the Greater Rochester community and taught at all three schools in the Greece Central Public School District. She also taught at Cardinal Mooney High School and Nazareth College. Her teaching subjects included Business Math, Typing, General Business Studies, and Accounting.

Jan is survived by her five children, Edmund O. Loos, III (Gina), of Orlando, Florida; Jennifer K. Miller (Michael), of Avon, NY; Kristin M. Vamvakitis (Jim), of Mount Dora, Florida; Rebecca A. Loos (Susan), of Richmond, Virginia; and Kimberlee K. Riper (James), of Clifton Park, NY, as well as her brother, Richard Kruszynski. She is also the grandmother to 10 grandchildren: Maddison, MacKenzie, Eddie, and Delaney Loos; Emma Miller; Bethany, Amalia, and Sophia Vamvakitis; and Hannah and Benjamin Riper. She was preceded in death by her husband of 35 years, Edmund Oscar Loos, Jr., and her parents, John & Helen Kruszynski.

Jan was more than her education, career, and family. She was a strong-willed, sweet, and savvy-dressed lady. Her daughter, Kimberlee, remarked that “Our mother dressed for the life she wanted” – she had an outfit and a pair of shoes for every occasion.  No matter what, she made sure she arrived in style and accessorized to a “T.” Jewelry, watches, hats, and approximately 20 different shades of sunglasses to coordinate with her attire. The night we drove her to the hospital, she was emphatic that we pack her favorite lipstick in the overnight bag. Jan was never fully dressed without a big, beautiful, bold smile.

Mom’s humor was always on point, and her infectious laugh could bring a room to a standstill. Her authentic self never lied or sugarcoated a situation. Sarcasm was her love language. She became friends with every stranger she met and innocently flirted with any man who donned a beard. Jan was all of this and more.

Mom often said she was born in the wrong generation, and it showed in the music she listened to. She adored country and alternative music and loved live music. If you glimpsed at her Apple Music playlists, they often told of a chapter of her life, the perfect emotion for the moment, or the joy of the music itself.

She kept a list of the concerts she had attended, hoping it would keep growing. That list included Coldplay, Lady Antebellum, Brothers Osborne, Old Dominion, Lake Street Dive, Lucy Dacus, Chris Young, the Goo Goo Dolls, Lanco, Florida Georgia Line, the Piano Guys, the Tenors, OneRepublic, and Tonic Jane. Her musical taste was vast and modern. Two weeks before her passing, her daughter, Becky, didn’t have the heart to let her know that one of her favorite artists, Glen Hansard, had beaten her to the pearly gates. Mom knows now, and more than likely, she has his attention.

As she grew older, Mom’s curiosity for learning never stopped. She kept her mind sharp and her heart open by watching Korean Rom-Coms. The subtitles kept her focused; the dramas kept her hopeful that love, no matter the race, ethnicity, or language barrier, would always win. Mom was an eternal optimist and a hopeless romantic.

Jan captured people’s attention, put endless smiles on their faces, and had a kind heart beneath the armor she wore well. Mom always left a bottle of water in the mailbox each day for her mail carrier. She offered help to anyone but seldom accepted it. Fiercely independent, to say the least. Mom was proud of her strength and tenacity.

When Mom spoke of the past, she did so fondly, and one memory centered on her hometown of Perry. She longed for those simpler days when she would find herself roller skating on a Friday night. It was a treasured memory, and she told her daughter about it on the way to the hospital. If she has her way, she will grab the cutest dress, a matching pair of skates, and find her way back to her childhood skating partner in heaven.

Although her body aged, Jan’s heart remained young. She will be remembered for the many lives she touched—from her childhood friends in Perry, NY, and her students in Greece, NY, to the communities she helped build in Bliss, NY; Richmond, VA; and St. Lucie County, FL.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) Hospice House, 901 37^thStreet, Vero Beach, FL, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or your local Military Veterans Support organization.

If you never had a chance to meet her and want to share a moment with her, put on “Benny and the Jets” by Elton John, turn up the volume, and sing with all your heart. “She’s got electric boots, a mohair suit, you know, I read it in a magazine, oh-oh B-B-B- Bennie and the Jets.”