Janice D'Ambra's Obituary
Janice D’Ambra, of Tucson, Arizona, passed away on August 15,2022 at her home after a long illness. Her loving family was at her side.
Jan was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 17, 1944, to Charlie and Gladys (Pacheco) Carlton. As the eldest of six children, she cherished her younger siblings: Bunny, Charlene, Norma, Donna and Charlie. The Carltons lived in different locations around the NYC area, moving upstate to the Hudson Valley in 1958. Jan attended Kingston High School, where she formed many friendships and participated in several school activities, including cheerleading and ski club. She graduated in 1962.
In 1963, while working for the Edo Corporation in College Point, New York, Jan met the love of her life, Joseph J. D’Ambra. During his time in the National Guard, Joe became the envy of all his comrades, when Jan would visit by bus each weekend carrying a picnic lunch for two. They were married on August 21, 1965 and embarked on many adventures, exploring the tri-state area, briefly operating a diner in Boiceville, New York, and eventually crossing the country to begin a new life together in Tucson.
Jan had a lifelong passion for staying in touch with her classmates and updating her Kingston High Yearbook. Shortly after graduation, she began collecting newspaper clippings to document her schoolmates’ engagements, weddings and birth announcements. Some of her friends didn’t survive the Vietnam War, and these deaths, too, were carefully recorded in the yearbook. Later in life, with the help of the internet, Jan tracked down as many classmates as she could find, exchanged correspondence with them and printed out any articles relevant to the KHS Class of ’62.
By 2017, the limitations of Alzheimer’s disease prevented her from pursuing her hobby, but over the years, she had thoughtfully archived so many life events and accomplishments that the old yearbook had doubled in size.
Jan will be missed tremendously by Joe, her husband of nearly 57 years. She is also survived by three children who will miss her dearly: Michael D’Ambra, Joseph Thomas D’Ambra (Sandra), and Laura Wille (Mark) as well as five grandchildren: Valerie, Anthony, Richard, Alexander and Nicholas Wille.
Her siblings will never forget her kindness, while nieces and nephews galore will remember her generous spirit.
Friends and colleagues from the Ashokan Field Campus and Arizona Department of Revenue will recall the conscientious secretary who was always eager to help, sang along to 50’s rock ’n roll on the radio, and never missed an opportunity to bring in homemade cookies for the staff.
Jan was preceded in death by her parents and sister Charlene, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and a niece.
A private memorial service will be held at Evergreen Mortuary.
The family is grateful to Soulistic Hospice, who demonstrated remarkable compassion in helping Joe to care for his wife during the last months of her illness.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation at https://soulistichospice.org
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