Jan arrived into the world on September 28, 1950, in Winfield Kansas, to Johnnie and Snowman Marler. Only 4 minutes after Jan took her first breaths, did her twin sister Joyce make her debut, and from that moment on Jan would take on the devoted roll of fierce protector to her sister for the rest of their lives. The two were inseparable. 

A few years later Jan and Joyce (Joycee) would welcome the arrival of their younger twin sisters Sharon and Karen. Many a story would be told of how Jan and Joyce each had a little sister to dress up and take care of, while their older brother Roger would be followed around by not two, but four little girls in matching pink dresses. 

Jan’s father worked with the mill and their family often relocated for his work. One such move landed the Marler family right here in Humboldt, to the little town of Scotia.  Jan often shared memories and spoke fondly of growing up in Scotia among the redwoods and attending Fortuna High School. 

Throughout her life Jan loved the arts, writing, drawing, reading, and choir. She loved music and always insisted that “happy people” sang. She loved poetry and books, telling a story, and was quite the speed reader. Jan would spend hours sewing and quilting with her grandmother, a passion and skill she would later put to amazing use. 

When Jan’s family relocate again in her senior year of high school, she would leave Humboldt for a time, but always considered her home here, among the towering redwoods and rivers she loved so much. She and Joycee would eventually make their way back to California to raise their families together, living in Eureka, McKinleyville, Arcata and Orick.

Jan loved the little town of Orick and knew she wanted to raise her daughter there, where everybody knew everybody and neighbors looked out for each other. She would develop many friendships in Orick that would last a lifetime, such as her dearest friends Ellen Kirk and Brenda Cordova. In the 90’s she would meet fellow woodworker Bill Ward at a burl shop they both were working at, marry, and spend the next 20 years building a life and raising her daughter with him.  

Jan used her artistic talents to create her small business, Boxe’s Boxes, where she made redwood jewelry boxes to wholesale to redwood shops along the Avenue of the Giants all the way to Jedediah Smith State Park. She loved meeting tourist visiting the area and was always making sure they knew the best places to stop along the coast.  

Orick and its community became the town she would dedicate her life to supporting. When her daughter Summer went off to 2nd grade, Jan went with her. She noticed the kids of Orick didn’t have a lot, including anything to do after school. She wanted to give them a safe and fun place to hang out and stay out of trouble. So, Jan started an after-school program, with no funds and about five kids. She gathered donations from local businesses to fund craft nights and projects for the kids once a week. It didn’t take long for the number of kids to grow, as did the supports Jan rallied into her endeavor. As the need grew, so did the program, and Jan had to reach outside her community for supports. Within the year, Jan was running a funded program working along regional groups like AmeriCorps and Teens in Action, as well as Orick School. It was important to Jan that the kids learn to work hard for the things they wanted. With these partnerships, students would perform community service projects and gain funding for their fieldtrips and supplies. 

When Jan asked the kids what they wanted to learn, they told her quilting. Being Jan, she rallied community members to help her teach and supply materials for over 30 kids and taught each student to make a quilt. When she asked to kid what they wanted to do with the quilts they made, the kids told her they wanted to give them to sick kids. Jan reached out to countless organization and hospitals, eventually receiving a call back from the Oakland Children’s Hospital. Each quilt made was sent with a picture of the child who made it and a letter. Jan even recruited a local volunteer to deliver the quilts.  Children in the hospital loved them so much they sent return photos and letters from their recipients. This gift became a tradition and would continue for the next 18 years. 

Jan’s dedication and love for her community did not stop with her students. Over a span of 30 years, she would advocate for every member of her community, bringing endless resources to children and families as their community liaison. You knew, if you needed something in Orick; food, clothes, gas, work, a doctor visit, a dentist, or anything else, you called Jan Box. Jan collaborated and grew relationship with nearly every local resource agency in the county such as: Healthy Start, Food for People, First 5 of Humboldt, Head Start, Public Health, Humboldt Community Resource Centers Network, AmeriCorps, AA and NA Groups, North Coast Children’s Services, The CCC, CASA Humboldt, RCAA, Northern Humboldt Adult Education, The American Red Cross, Veteran’s Outreach, RCRC, and Open Door Community Health. 

Every month, rain or shine, and even through power outages, Jan hand packed food boxes for families and made home deliveries to seniors. She ensured families had access to a washer and dryer for clean clothes, dental hygiene products, shoes, transportation to medical appointments, AA meetings, and so much more. When neighbors in her community couldn’t make the drive to Open Door health serves in Arcata, she brought Open Door to her neighbors by helping develop a clinic on site at the school. And, without fail, every Christmas Jan would fill the school resource center with toys, clothes, art supplies, and more to invite all parents and grandparents in Orick to select gifts for their children. Jan herself would often be the one wrapping the gifts to ensure every child had something to open on Christmas morning. 

Jan showed up for people. Often, when no one else would. She was proud of her town and her community and even more so of the children she encouraged and supported. She rejoiced with everyone for their successes and walked with them through their challenges. Jan did not care what your background was, your wrongs or your faults. She helped everyone all the same. 

When Jan wasn’t at the school helping others, she was somewhere else…helping others. She was always volunteering; be it helping serve pancakes with the Trinidad Lions Club, sorting donations at the Hospice Thrift Shoppe, supporting the Friends of the Trinidad Library, being a Brownie troop leader, helping round up donations for community dinner raffles, teaching a quilting class at a local church or community center, supervising a class fundraiser, or finishing up a handmade quilt to raffle off to help someone somewhere. Her generous spirit was always there to support someone else to reach a dream. 

Jan showed her love through acts of service and quilts. She was a self-proclaimed chronic quilter, and proud member of the Renegade Quilters and the Young and Old Quilters groups. You knew you mattered when Jan Box bestowed upon you a hand sewn quilt that she had spent weeks making. Every scrap of fabric chosen on purpose and stitched together with love. She believed that everyone needed a quilt, and everyone needed to feel loved. 

Janice passed peacefully on the morning of May 20, 2026, surrounded by love, laughter, her family and beloved grandchildren; wrapped in one of her beautiful handmade quilts. 

She is survived by her brother Roger Marler (Sandy) and sister Karen Bartlett; daughter, Summer Hesch (Tim) and son Joseph Marler (Shirley); her grandchildren Elijah Hesch, Emmett Hesch, Oliver Hesch, Isabeau Hesch, and Dalton Marler; her nieces Shelley Hurst (Kenny), and Katryna Hackney; her fairy goddaughter Victoria Huggins; dearest of friends, Ellen Kirk, John Dias, and Josh Oquist; stepsons Daniel Weber (Quin), Adam Dias (Amanda), Matt Dias (Jaime); and their children, Joslyn, Josiah, Layla, Kassidy, Megan and Cassidy.  

She is proceeded in death by her beloved sisters Joyce Sullivan and Sharon Caldaron; her parents; and husband, Bill Ward.

 A Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday September 19, 2026, at Shiloh Family Church in Fortuna from 1 to 3 p.m.  Family encourages you to bring a quilt made by Jan if you are lucky enough to have one, and a memory to share. 

In lieu of flowers, Jan requested donations be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, as Jan loved Dolly and her dedication to supporting child literacy. 

The Hesch and Marler families would like to extend a special thank you to the entire staff of the Fortuna P.A.C.E program and the nursing staff of the I.C.U. department at Redwood Memorial.