Jeanette "Jan" B. Kozel

Jeanette B. “Jan” Kozel, 91 died peacefully at home on January 17, 2026 in Madison, Georgia.

Born July 24th, 1934, in Gary, Indiana, Jan was the second of five daughters born to the late Nicolana and Corrado Bianchini. Jan graduated from Emerson High School in Gary, Indiana and went on to study nursing at St. Mary’s Hospital Gary, graduating with her RN in Pediatric nursing. She married her husband, John J. Kozel, in 1963.

In 1972, Jan and her husband John moved their young family south to Stuart, Florida. Jan continued her career in nursing working at Martin Memorial Hospital for 20+ years. It was here in Florida that Jan would expand her early childhood interest in art to a lifelong love and exploration of drawing and painting.

In the nineties Jan and John moved to Franklin, NC where they both enjoyed gardening, day trips and for Jan artist retreats and plain air painting. After a few heavy snows, Jan and John moved to the more temperate climate of North Augusta, SC. In Augusta Jan was an active member of the Mary Street Art Guild as well as the Augusta art center and Silver Sneakers Program.

In 2019, Jan moved to Madison, Georgia to live with her daughter Kelly (Ellen), where her circle expanded once again. Jan enjoyed local culture and art play days on the farm as well as being Ellen and Kelly’s “plus one” for dinner dates—always curious, always engaged and always happy to meet new people.

Jan was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, John J. Kozel (2020) and her sister Clara Augustine (2017).

She is survived by her daughter Kelly Kozel (Ellen Brust), son Kevin Kozel (Jean Kozel) and son Kenneth Kozel and by her sisters Ramona (late Darwin) McCrovitz, Linda (late Raymond) Howell and Nikki (Larry) Vaughn and her nieces and nephews and families.

She will be remembered for her quiet strength, resilience, humor and creativity, and for her love and words of wisdom and encouragement she shared so freely with her family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations may be made to:

Abbey Hospice www.abbeyhospice.com

Parkinson’s Foundation www.parkinsons.org

Humane Society of Morgan County www.humanemorgan.org

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, EAST, Athens, GA, is in charge of arrangements. www.lordandstephens.com