Jan Dudek

SHARON — Jan Dudek, 74, of 95 West Cornwall Road, Sharon, passed away Dec. 24, 2023.

Jan was born Oct. 7, 1949, in Newark, New Jersey, the daughter of the late George and Alice Fodor. Jan grew up in Houston, Texas, and later in Needham, Massachusetts, before enrolling in Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania and graduating in 1971. She continued on to graduate school at the Pennsylvania State University where she met her future husband, Mike Dudek, in 1975. After finishing school, Jan and Mike lived and worked in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire, and Maine, before moving to the Emily Winthrop Miles Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon, Connecticut in 1985.

Jan worked a variety of jobs during her lifetime including: farm manager for an environmental education center, counselor at a group home for adults with developmental disabilities, and bookkeeper for a local Sharon company. Jan became a teacher at the Sharon Daycare Center in 1995 and for the next 24 years she was an integral part of the many families that passed through the daycare center’s doors before retiring in 2019.

Jan consistently gave back to the community in a variety of ways. She was an avid volunteer for environmental causes, including the Sharon Audubon Center, the Sharon Land Trust, and the Sharon Energy and Environment Commission. Jan also worked at Town Hall on Election Day for many years and was active in both local and national politics. Jan was passionate about gardening and sustainable farming practices and was an enthusiastic supporter of local farms.

Over the years, Jan loved to travel and spend time with family and friends. Whether it was camping trips in Maine and Canada, trips to National Parks across the country, or beach vacations in Florida, Delaware, New Jersey, and Mexico, Jan loved exploring new places with good food and good company.

Jan will always be remembered for her good-natured laugh, her homegrown vegetables, her delicious baked and preserved goods, her kind and empathetic disposition, and her love and commitment to her family and close friends.

She is survived by her husband, Mike, her son, Ben, her daughter, Sarah, and a large extended family.

A private celebration of Jan’s life will be held at a later date.

In keeping with Jan’s love of her local community, memorial contributions may be made to the following organizations: Hotchkiss Library of Sharon, 10 Upper Main St., Sharon, CT 06069; Sharon Fire Department and Ambulance Squad, PO Box 357, Sharon, CT 06069; Sharon Land Trust, PO Box 1027, Sharon, CT 06069; Sharon Daycare Center, PO Box 1031, Sharon, CT 06069; or Sharon Audubon Center, 325 Cornwall Bridge Rd., Sharon, CT 06069.

The Kenny Funeral Home 41 Main Street, Sharon has care of arrangements.