Janet "Jan" T. Mccabe

Janet  "Jan" T. McCabe, Clarks Green, PA died July 19th at Commonwealth Regional Hospital in Scranton, PA after an illness.

Jan was born in Wilkes-Barre, PA to Franklin G., Sr, and Olga P. Trenery, both of whom preceded her in death.  She was married to John Robert "Bob" McCabe, Sr, who died in 1998.

Surviving are a son, J.R. (Bob, Jr.) and daughter-in-law, Anne, Rockville Centre, NY; a brother, Frank Trenery, Jr. and sister-in-law, Jeanne, Apex, N.C.; and three grandchildren, Jack (John R. III), Gillian and Ava who each brought a smile to her face every single day; her loving nieces and nephews and the Miller and Gigliotti families, of Scranton, PA., who are kind and caring surviving family members of Tom Miller, who was a close and loving companion to Jan for several years after Bob's death.

As a young child, Jan moved to Elmira, NY with her parents and her brother for her father's work with the Greater Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co (A&P). It was in Elmira that she was introduced to and developed a life-long love of sports.  As a five-year old child, her father began teaching her the one game that became her passion sport—baseball—by showing her how to keep score at Dunn Field watching the Elmira Pioneers. Her love of the game continued throughout her life and she and a dear friend were even season ticket holders for more than a decade to the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Railriders.  It was often discussed among both family and friends that if a trade, call-up to the big leagues, manager change or MLB team "move" was made to, "…just call Jan, she will know all the details…"

Growing up in Elmira, Jan attended and graduated from Elmira South Side High School.  When not taking piano lessons or doing something school related, she would likely be found with her best friend and often that also meant working with her at the A&P grocery store.  Always active in the high school student body, it was there that she developed her award-winning journalism and writing skills.  During her high school career, she was the El-So-Hi news editor and, as a senior, won the NY Empire State School Press Association news writing contest.  She was awarded a full scholarship to Syracuse University for her work.  While honored, she chose to stay close to home and attended and graduated from Elmira College.

Upon graduating college, she moved to Clarks Green in 1958 to join her family who had re-located while she was in school.  Once she returned to the Abingtons, she worked for the next seven years as an Executive Secretary at the International Salt Company in Clarks Summit.  It was there that she met and then married her beloved husband, Bob. They lived in Moscow, PA and then moved to Clarks Summit, PA before finally settling in Clarks Green to raise their son.

They were married for 36 years and shared the love of family, close friends, shore vacations, occasional Pocono Downs and casino outings and any sport in which their son and the Abington Heights Comets played.  She was a long standing and faithful member of the church in which she and Bob were married, Clarks Green United Methodist Church.  Jan lived in Clarks Green for nearly 60 years.

As an incredibly active member of the community and philanthropist, Jan was always working to help others.  Through her work with the community library, her church and its causes, and other organizations, she was tireless in her commitment.

A believer in lifelong learning, she dedicated great energy and time to the Abington Community Library and its growth.  She believed that the library offered opportunities both to learn as well as to meet others and build lasting friendships.  In fact, one of her closest and dearest friends she met randomly when they were introduced and asked to go door to door to raise money for a library fund drive. Their friendship lasted throughout her life.  Jan began her volunteer work at the library in 1968, becoming co-chair of the library's Sustaining Fund Drives in 1968 and 1969 and was elected to the library board starting in 1971.  She continued her work with the library throughout her life on the board, as a member of the Trustee division of the Pennsylvania Library Association and as a constant key leader in fund raising efforts including to build a new, modern library in 1992 and to bring an addition of a children's room in 2002.

During this same period, Jan became tax collector of Clarks Green Borough and remained in the position over 20 years, from 1980-2001.  While running for and winning election four times before retiring, she didn't consider herself a politician.  In fact, she often told others that while she valued the role and wanted to serve her town and her neighbors, she really did it for the connections to people.  She kept her office in her home and looked forward to when residents would come to drop off their bills because it would most often turn into a visit and that is what she valued the most—time with others.

As a member of the Clarks Green United Methodist Church, she was a constant in the church and always a part of leading its efforts to benefit the church and the community.  She was a member of the United Methodist Women, multiple committees and boards and even recently created and led the "Coffee and Conversation" weekly discussion meetings series.

She was also treasurer of the Clarks Green Cemetery Association for 25 years and a long-time member of the Abington Women's Club.

Through Jan's work with the church, she was introduced to and asked to become involved with, the United Methodist Homes and its mission, nearly 30 years ago.  She saw the incredible need to advocate for the elderly, their quality of life and care and went on to make it a major part of her life's work.  She was elected to the United Methodist Homes Board of Directors in 1999 and served on the board until May of this year. In fact, her work was tireless, and she served on multiple leadership committees including the Executive/Finance/Audit Committee, as Chair of the QAPI (Quality Assurance) Committee, the Compliance Oversight Committee, Wesley Village LDC, Strategic Positioning Committee and the United Methodist Homes Foundation Board. In addition, through her work with the Friends of the United Methodist Homes, she worked to see that resident's needs were met. Emblematic of her values, she made sure that each Christmas every resident had a gift to open by raising the funds, making the gift purchases and delivering them to Wesley Village for them to be distributed to assure nobody was without a present on Christmas morning.

In 2012, she was honored by The Abington Journal with the R. Matthew Burne Lifetime of Service Award for her body of work for the community. Truly humbled by the honor, at the award dinner, she would say that to be selected as a recipient of an award named in memory of such a kind and giving person was the highest compliment.

During her life, Jan loved time spent with her family, friends and neighbors on her porch, talking baseball with anyone who was interested, including her son and nephew, and talking Carolina Hurricanes hockey with her brother.  She was known to bake cookies, or her famous red beets from her mother's recipe, or make soup for her friends who weren't feeling well, while always bringing the office staff candy or donuts whenever she had an appointment. She cherished her visits to Long Island to see her grandchildren as they grew, anything in the color purple, her trips to New York City, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, New Jersey, her walks on the boardwalk, the fall leaves and colors of NE PA, her weekly trips to the local farm stands, sharing recipes with friends and visiting any lighthouse she could find and was even a member of the Lighthouse Preservation Society.  She enjoyed seeing on video, or visiting in person, the horses that she owned a fraction of— "two of the hairs of their tail.." she would say, watching them race--even win--and being licensed by the Maryland Racing Association.

Jan was selfless and known for her giving nature, caring and thoughtful way and will be greatly missed by all.  None more than by her son.  Likely one of the best descriptions of Jan was found in the newspaper headline announcing her being named as the lifetime achievement recipient.  It simply read: "Kindness to Count on".

A celebration of life will be held at Clarks Green United Methodist Church, 119 Glenburn Rd, Clarks Green, PA on October 26th at 1130am.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in Jan's name to: Abington Community Library, 1200 West Grove Street, Clarks Summit, PA 1841.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home and Cremation Services Inc., 418 S. State Street, Clarks Summit.