Falcon and Woodmen Hills resident Janice K. Shanahan, age 73, passed away Wednesday evening, August 12, 2026. Jan was peaceful at home with her family present. She suffered many years with Multiple Sclerosis.
Jan was born October 17, 1952, in Ada, OK, to parents Kenneth A. and Thelma M. Winters Burnett. She is survived by her husband, Ed; daughter, Katie and husband, Johnny of Fountain, CO; son, Kyle and wife Lesley of Falcon, CO; and six grandchildren. Additionally, she is survived by her Aunt Pat Burnett of Sulphur Springs, TX, as well as numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins whom she loved.
Jan was predeceased by her parents; by brother, Gary and wife, Kris; and by brother, Jim and wife, Janice Ruth.
Jan grew up in the small southwestern Oklahoma town of Lindsay. She was surrounded by loving family and friends. She attended the First Baptist Church where she was baptized. She attended Lindsay Public Schools. She was a proud member of the Lindsay High School Class of 1970. She was a member of the school marching band and performed as twirler and a flutist. After high school graduation, she attended college at East Central University in Ada, OK, and then Central State University in Edmond, OK, where she and Ed first met.
They married on March 9, 1974, in Lindsay. Following Ed’s college graduation, they moved to South Louisiana as Ed pursued a management career in retail and later in the insurance industry. During their fifty-two year marriage, they resided ten different locations as the job responsibilities required.
They resided in Brownwood, TX, from 1977 through 1988. Their two children, Katie and Kyle, were born in Brownwood. In 1988, they returned to Oklahoma and lived in Ada, and then Broken Arrow until their move to Colorado in 2015. Katie and Kyle, and their families, now reside in the Colorado Springs area.
Throughout her young married life Jan focused on raising her children and providing a positive home life. She was a Christian wife and mother. She was at home when her children were young and provided the strong support and guidance they needed to live and grow in a structured loving environment. She occasionally worked in part time roles in Louisiana and Texas as a preschool teacher and as a Special Education teacher. Then in 1994 she returned to full-time career as a principal’s secretary in a large intermediate high school building. Then in 2005 she was promoted and became a superintendent’s administrative assistant serving two different Oklahoma public school districts. She retired in 2012 due to her health battles.
Ed retired in 2014 to care for Jan as she fought the many challenges of Multiple Sclerosis. They have resided in Woodmen Hills for eleven years.
Jan’s faith has provided her extraordinary strength to deal with many ups and downs related to her health issues. She was a two-time breast cancer survivor. After a recent hospital stay, Jan decided to receive hospice care at home and to focus on her comfort, her family, and her friends during her last days.
She was Ed’s best friend.
A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at the Shrine of Remembrance, 1730 E. Fountain Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO 80910. Services will conclude with a luncheon reception across the street at the Olympian Plaza Reception and Event Center, 975 S. Union Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO 80910.
Jan will be laid to rest privately at Evergreen Cemetery, 1005 Hancock Expressway, Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
