Janet S. Selavka
March 1, 1933 –
Janet S. Selavka, age 89, of Sun City Center, Fla., was called by the Lord on Oct. 8, 2022. Janet said farewell peacefully from her home while in the loving hands of her husband, Carl Selavka, and their sons, Michael Phillip, Edgar Lester and Carl Matthew.
Janet was a lifelong educator. The youngest of two daughters, she was born March 1, 1933, to Edgar Smith and Ada Elizabeth Shaffer in Windsor, Connecticut. Janet graduated from Willimantic (CT) State Teachers College in 1954. As her career blossomed, she also obtained a Masters in Education from the University of Hawaii and an Academic Sixth-Year Degree from the University of Connecticut.
After her marriage on Dec. 19, 1953, Janet served as a proud “military spouse” to her favorite Army pilot, Carl, and taught in primary and secondary schools while he led Army aviation units in Germany, Hawaii, Kansas and Connecticut. Following Carl’s retirement as a lieutenant colonel, they settled in Middle Haddam, Connecticut. While raising her sons, Janet was the English department chair at Glastonbury High School (Conn.), vice principal at North Stonington (Conn.) High School (1980-1987) and then served as principal of Hopkins Academy (high school) in Hadley, Massachusetts, (1987-1994).
During her early years of retirement in Hadley (1994-2000), Janet had a supervising role with student-teachers from Westfield State College (Mass.) and scored National Evaluation Service tests to certify schoolteachers. She loved Duplicate Bridge, playing golf with Carl, sending cards with thoughtful messages to extended family and capturing special events in photo gallery books. Janet and Carl moved to Sun City Center, Fla., in 2009 to more conveniently continue their 25 years of N.Y. Yankees preseason passion.
Janet will be fondly remembered by Carl, her three sons, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, as well as the extended Smith and Selavka families throughout the US, as a caring, fun-loving intellectual who also enjoyed sports. Spiritual celebration of Janet’s life will be held at the Ruskin United Methodist Church soon. Contributions in Janet’s memory can be made to your favorite charity that helps Native American children – and those around the world – to learn and prosper.
Janet was a lifelong educator. The youngest of two daughters, she was born March 1, 1933, to Edgar Smith and Ada Elizabeth Shaffer in Windsor, Connecticut. Janet graduated from Willimantic (CT) State Teachers College in 1954. As her career blossomed, she also obtained a Masters in Education from the University of Hawaii and an Academic Sixth-Year Degree from the University of Connecticut.
After her marriage on Dec. 19, 1953, Janet served as a proud “military spouse” to her favorite Army pilot, Carl, and taught in primary and secondary schools while he led Army aviation units in Germany, Hawaii, Kansas and Connecticut. Following Carl’s retirement as a lieutenant colonel, they settled in Middle Haddam, Connecticut. While raising her sons, Janet was the English department chair at Glastonbury High School (Conn.), vice principal at North Stonington (Conn.) High School (1980-1987) and then served as principal of Hopkins Academy (high school) in Hadley, Massachusetts, (1987-1994).
During her early years of retirement in Hadley (1994-2000), Janet had a supervising role with student-teachers from Westfield State College (Mass.) and scored National Evaluation Service tests to certify schoolteachers. She loved Duplicate Bridge, playing golf with Carl, sending cards with thoughtful messages to extended family and capturing special events in photo gallery books. Janet and Carl moved to Sun City Center, Fla., in 2009 to more conveniently continue their 25 years of N.Y. Yankees preseason passion.
Janet will be fondly remembered by Carl, her three sons, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, as well as the extended Smith and Selavka families throughout the US, as a caring, fun-loving intellectual who also enjoyed sports. Spiritual celebration of Janet’s life will be held at the Ruskin United Methodist Church soon. Contributions in Janet’s memory can be made to your favorite charity that helps Native American children – and those around the world – to learn and prosper.