Jana Purvine

My little sister, Jana Purvine, died at her home in Seattle on Jan. 22, 2006.

Her death was unexpected and came at a time in her life of great hope: she had just gone through knee-replacement surgery and was looking forward to being able to walk without pain for the first time in years.

She was born on July 11, 1953, in Bartlesville, Okla. She was christened Janice Lou, but as an adult she preferred to be called Jana.

She traveled in Russia, graduated from Oklahoma State University, then became an LPN and moved to Seattle in 1978, where she worked at Swedish Hospital. For the last several years, she worked for McGraw-Hill Dodge Publishing.

Jana loved Seattle, the Olympic Peninsula and the coast. She also loved the San Juan Islands and came to visit often. Her favorites included South Beach for beach glass and rocks, Downriggers for seafood pasta, and the Artisans Fair for Darlene Nixon’s bead booth. She loved spending time with her parents in Oklahoma and her oldest sister and family in Colorado.

Jana was a voracious reader, an expert on English history, an opera fanatic, and had a wicked sense of humor. She collected Russian Palek boxes and made beautiful jewelry and artwork. She loved all animals except spiders, and was one of the earliest volunteers at Wolf Hollow.

Most of all, she loved her family. Jana will be missed so deeply by her parents, Joe and Carolyn Purvine of Oklahoma; her eldest sister, Jo Lynne Henderson of Colorado; her elder sister (by 21 months), Judith Carter of Friday Harbor; her brother-in-law, Paul Henderson, and nephew, Josh Henderson, of Colorado; her nephew, Corey Henderson of Garmisch, Germany; her many cousins, aunts, uncles and friends; and her beloved cat, Bunny.

I would ask two things of my fellow islanders. First, if you are so inclined, make a small donation in my sister’s memory to the Animal Protection Society or the library. Second, tell your family and friends often how much they mean to you. I am grateful that my sister knew how deeply she was loved.

— Judith Carter