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Janet (Beanland) Smith, 70 years old, died June 12, 2021. No services are scheduled and she and her husband Marvin A. Smith (1944-2019) will be held at General Douglas McBride Veterans Cemetery in Roswell, New Mexico , buried . She was born on January 24, 1951 to Leonard C. Beanland (1923-2015) and Marjean Beanland (1924-2021) in Berkeley, California, and grew up in Castro Valley. She graduated from Castro Valley High School in 1969 and then earned a degree in sociology from the University of California, Hayward.
After college, Jan was employed by the Pacific Gas & Electric Company in their General Construction Department. She worked in the human resources department, in project management and in the IT department; retired after 35 years as a network specialist. She traveled all over California to field offices and taught the staff how to use the new computer systems. Jan then managed construction projects in the department. Jan was some of the women who worked in IT.
Jan joined the Girl Scouts in 2nd grade. After high school, she helps direct backpacking trips for the Girl Scouts to the High Sierra, California. In one summer she went over the same pass three times with different groups. Jan was a lifelong member of Girl Scouts.
After their retirement, Jan and Marvin moved to Roswell in 2006 and immediately became involved in the community. She was the director of Girl Scout Troop 31, coordinated the delivery of cakes and biscuits to NMMI Cadets for the Roswell Symphony Orchestra and worked on the UFO Festival.
In 2014 Jan was asked if she could help sew costumes for a musical that a new theater company was staging. The production was Les Miserables presented by Way Way Off Broadway; she sewed costumes for more than 70 actors. Jan became the chief costume designer and cloakroom master for over 15 musicals including Mary Poppins, Seussical, Peter Pan, Mama Mia and Grease.
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Jan has always been a gardener, but when she moved to Roswell she learned that gardening in New Mexico is not just gardening in the San Francisco Bay Area. She joined the Home Garden Club and has served as Recording Secretary, 2nd VP, 1st VP, and has served twice as President. She also held offices in District V and served as the second vice president of New Mexico Gardens for two terms. She was the Southwest Region Admissions Secretary for the Garden Club. She was named Best in Show at the Eastern New Mexico State Fair Flower Show in 2019.
While on a weekend getaway in Sacramento, California, Marvin and Jan stopped at a Celtic festival where they learned that “Smith” was a Scottish sept of the Macpherson clan. Marvin and Jan were involved in clan activities in California; Jan was the admission secretary for the US office. Jan helped coordinate the annual potluck at the Scottish Games in Pleasanton (CA). In Roswell, Jan chaired the annual meeting of the US subsidiary in Albuquerque. Marvin and Jan attended clan meetings in the USA and Scotland.
Jan leaves behind her brother Michael Beanland (Joretta) from Vancouver, WA, and her nieces and nephews Robin Camp (WA), Summer Beanland (OR), Emerald Beanland (OR), Jesse Beanland (OR) and 1LT Larkin Beanland (WA). She is also survived by Marvin’s daughters DeAnna Rivas (TX), Marvine Blackburn (TX), and Tana Long (TX).
Instead of flowers, please donate to WayWayOffBroadway.com or FromForgottentoForever.com.
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