Janice Hope Brancart Walker

It is with great sadness that we, her children, share the passing of Janice Hope “Jan” Brancart Walker, who departed this world peacefully at home on October 2, 2025, at the age of 88.

Jan was born in 1937, in Sturgeon, PA, to Gustave Brancart and Marie Miller Brancart. She grew up with an older brother, Jim, and an older sister, Jeanne. Because she was tall, Jan was recruited by and played on the girls’ basketball team at McDonald High School and graduated in 1955. After graduation, she immediately secured an administrative assistant position in downtown Pittsburgh, 40 minutes away, to which she commuted by a local bus service.

Less than a year after landing her first job, Jan was courted by and, in 1956, married our father, Hugh P. “Babe” Walker, who had recently returned from serving in Korea with the US Army. Back then, it was frowned upon to pursue a career while pregnant, so she reluctantly left the workforce and became a homemaker. Jan and Babe went on to raise four children: Tim, Dave, Tina, and Amy. She loved being a wife, homemaker, and mum, and she was an excellent cook. As us kids grew older, she would take part-time administrative roles here and there, including accounting work as she enjoyed working with numbers.

Jan was a lifelong avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction -- so much so that our dad designed and built floor-to-ceiling shelving that spanned nearly 15' to hold most, but not all, of her hardback books. She loved listening to music, and her taste spanned genres -- movie/theatre scores (Dr. Zhivago, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music), Johnny Cash, Freddy Fender, Kris Kristofferson, Norah Jones, Adele, and Rod Stewart’s renditions of American standards (she actually saw Rod in concert with her daughters at StarLake). For a short time, she was an AKC breeder of Irish Setters (Molly and Rusty). Genealogy was a keen interest, as well, and she researched both her and our father's ancestries, gathered documents and photos, and prepared binders for each of us four children. One of her favorite TV shows was PBS’s Finding Your Roots.

Jan delighted in going out to eat, along with window shopping with her daughters, and more recently enjoyed brief, solo trips to Goodwill to take advantage of senior discount day, which allowed her a constant rotation of tasteful tchotchkes, clothing, and artwork, re-donating some and keeping those that spoke to her. Her husband and sons always ensured that her home and vehicles were as she wanted them and in excellent working order.

Jan and Babe, married 64 years when he passed in 2020, were constant companions, cared lovingly for each other in sickness and in health, and together made an unstoppable team - evidenced by the major project they took on in the early 1990s of purchasing nearly ten wooded acres, clearing a long, steep driveway and secluded acre, then building from start to finish a 1.5 story cedar-sided cottage with a wrap-around porch, all while living in a camper on the property. This was their dream home, where they both enjoyed their later years, and where each spent their final days.

Jan is survived by her children, Timothy P. Walker (Patricia), Tina W. Edwards, and Amy L. Walker (Lauren), her daughter-in-law Noreen, her grandchildren Nathan (Emily), Jessica (Peter), Kathleen, and Shannon, and her great-grandchildren Kaia Walker and Greta and August Ekman, along with many nieces and nephews.

Jan was preceded in death by her husband Hugh P. Walker and son David T. Walker (Noreen), along with her father Gustave Brancart; mother, Marie Miller Brancart; brother James Brancart; and sister Jeanne Brancart Lucarini.

Jan was a beloved daughter and sister, a cherished and loyal wife, and a respected, admired, and loved-beyond-compare mum, grandmother, and great-grandmother. To all who loved and spent time with her, Jan was intelligent, open-minded, a good listener, as well as quietly strong-willed, tolerant, and resilient. Her final resting place is with our father in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies.