Jan Maynard's Obituary
Jane Ann Adams Maynard was born on August 10th, 1954. A couple of days later Marion Adams interrupted his wife Ruth’s bridge game at the country club to inform her there was a newborn baby waiting for them. Ruth abandoned the game to claim their daughter. Jan spent her first night at home in Odessa, Texas in a dresser drawer as there was no time to organize a nursery.
Jan passed away December 7, 2020 in Longview, TX after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease. In the years given to her she lived by the example her parents set, to be involved in her community, to serve others and to love people as her parents loved her. Jan graduated from Odessa Permian High School in 1972 and then from Pan American University in Edinburg, TX with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Jan began her professional career in the hospitality industry as events and sales manager for the Odessa Hilton Hotel. She moved to Longview in 1991 to become the Marketing Manager for the newly formed KFXK-Fox51 television station. Jan transitioned into the auto industry when she joined Jack Long Nissan as their Marketing Director. It was there that she organized a promotional endurance contest called Hands on a Hardbody where the dealership gave away a pickup truck to the person who could keep their hand on a Hardbody truck longer than their fellow contestants. This became an annual contest that continued with the dealership through three ownership groups. It became the subject of a documentary film and a Broadway musical. Jan delighted in the notoriety this brought to the dealership and to Longview.
In 2001 the dealership was acquired by the Patterson group and her work with Trey Patterson was the most exciting and gratifying of her career. In 2009 Jan returned to Odessa, TX to care for her aging mother. She returned to Longview, her true home after her mother’s death in 2014.
Following the example of her father, Jan was constantly engaged in service to her community. She transferred her membership in the Junior League to the Longview chapter and was the League President for the 2003-2004 year. Jan served on the Great Texas Balloon Race board in various capacities for 22 years, serving as Race Chairman in 2009. She served on various committees and boards such as the Junior Achievement, Longview Food Drive, American Cancer Society and United Way. Jan would go out of her way to feed, clothe, encourage and love the people she knew well and the ones she casually came in contact with. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Longview, and during her time in Odessa, Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Jan was preceded in death by her parents Marion Adams and Ruth Haddow Adams. She is survived by her son Kenneth Maynard, his wife Amanda and grandchildren Shawn, Gavin, Trendon and Ava, sisters Kathy Cogdill, and Christina Reyes and brothers Michael Adams and Wes Brownfield.
Jan was very blessed to be cared for during her illness by Carolyn Fisher, Raye Kennedy and Tracie Miller who became her loving and devoted friends.
Jan’s life will be celebrated in a memorial service Monday, December 14th, 2020 at 11:00am at Rader Funeral Home in Longview. Family and friends may gather for visitation before the service at 10:00am. For those wishing to memorialize Jan in lieu of flowers, donations to Heartsway Hospice at 4351 McCann Rd. Longview, 75605 or the Great Texas Balloon Race Soft Winds Fund at PO BOX 3988 Longview, 75606 would be Jan’s choices.
Service will be live streamed at www.raderfh.com on her obituary page media link.
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