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Janice Deolene (Grender) Heiser

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Elderly woman indoors near a window, with flowers and soft daylight behind her.
Janice Heiser

May 24, 1934 - May 22, 2026. Janice Deolene (Grender) Heiser passed away at home from cancer on Friday, May 22, 2026 two days before what would have been her 92nd birthday, with her family at her side.

She was born May 24, 1934, in Erie, Pennsylvania, to Obed L. Grender, originally of Wisconsin, and Vera L. (Conrad) Grender, originally of Coshocton, Ohio. Jan grew up in Erie with her brother, Gordon.

A dedicated student, she was her high school class valedictorian and went on to attend Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where she earned a teaching degree.

At Allegheny, she met her future husband, Arlan Heiser. After university, Jan taught kindergarten in Lakewood while Arlan served in the Army, and they married on June 29, 1957.

After a short time in California, the couple settled in Hamilton, Ohio, where their son Jay was born. When Arlan joined his father’s business in Cleveland, the Heisers moved to Bay Village, Ohio, where Jan would put down the deep roots.

Jan was a gracious hostess, a meticulous homemaker, and a talented singer. She taught preschool at Bay Village Presbyterian for many years and cultivated a lifelong circle of friends known affectionately as “Les Girls”.

A skilled needleworker, Jan loved to knit and was an award-winning needlepoint artist across multiple disciplines. She thought nothing of whipping up a pair of mittens in an hour, complete with decorative detail, when grandson Kirk lost his, and many gorgeous sweaters were gifted to family over the years.

Jan came by her musical talent naturally, shaped by many hours of devoted practice. Her father was a choral director and musician, her parents had in fact met when Obed performed in Coshocton while touring the country with the St. Olaf Quartet.

Jan sang in several prominent chorale groups, including Morton J. Luvaas’s Allegheny Singers, and the Blossom Festival Chorus and Cleveland Orchestra Chorus under Robert Page and Gareth Morrell. A gifted contralto, she was often featured as a soloist under director Ernie Heisey in the Bay Presbyterian Church choir.

One of her Severance Hall performances with the globally renowned Cleveland Orchestra resulted in a 1997 Grammy-winning recording, a milestone she treasured. She was also thrilled to participate in several memorable European tours with the Cleveland State University Civic Musicum and the Cleveland Orchestra.

After Jay left for college, Jan and Arlan moved to Brecksville to be closer to the family manufacturing business, Hyson. They traveled internationally for work and with friends. After Arlan’s retirement, the two took on new roles with an executive sales training company, where Jan memorably played “Flo Cash”, the savvy purchasing agent.

Always loving travel but unenthusiastic about hotels, Jan and Arlan owned several motor homes that they drove all over the United States. Jan kept detailed daily logs of their adventures, which included a barge trip down the Atchafalaya and an especially memorable expedition to Alaska.

Jan’s Ohio family included Conrads, Guthries, and Duncans; the family regularly traveled from Erie to Coshocton to visit. After their first date, Jan and Arlan discovered they both had roots in the same Holmes County township. Loving the area, they eventually scouted for a property and in the 1970s purchased what they christened Heiser Hollow.

Jan adored exploring the land and wrote beautiful journals of what they did and the flowers and birds she observed. In 2013, they retired to the area, first moving to Walnut Hills and later to Danbury Millersburg. In each place, Jan made a beautiful home and gathered a circle of friends.

Jan was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Gordon C. Grender; sisters-in-law Marilyn and Evelyn Grender; and an infant son.

She is survived by her husband, H. Arlan Heiser of Millersburg; son, Jay G. Heiser (Elizabeth) of Layland; grandson, Kirk A. Heiser of Columbus; nephews, Anders and Ian Grender of Cincinnati; cousin, Richard Wangen of Coshocton; and family in Wisconsin and Kentucky.

The family would like to thank the staff at Walnut Hills and Danbury, the Timken Cancer Center, and Dr. Butros Latouf for their tender and loving care.

Per Jan’s wishes, there will be no funeral or graveside service. Contributions in Jan’s memory may be made to the Cleveland Orchestra at give.clevelandorchestra.com/in-memoriam. Condolences may be sent to the family at P.O. Box 386, Killbuck, OH 44637. Alexander Funeral Home is assisting the family; online condolences may be shared at www.alexanderfhinc.com.

"Don’t weep at my grave, for I am not there. I’ve a date with a butterfly to dance in the air. I’ll be singing in sunshine, wild and free, playing tag with the wind while I’m waiting for thee." — Richard Bach

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