Janice Ruth Laughlin Krahenbuhl died at Merrill Gardens at Gilroy on September 22 after a long struggle with interstitial fibrosis and dementia. She was 82. Janice Ruth Laughlin was born in Grand Island, Nebraska, in 1936, daughter of Logan and Ruth Haggart Laughlin. Her family moved to Inglewood, California in 1948. In 1954 she graduated Inglewood High School, where she edited the school’s creative writing journal. At the College (later University) of the Pacific in Stockton, she met Charles Krahenbuhl, whom she married in 1956. Mrs. Krahenbuhl taught her first elementary school class in 1958 and her last in 2013 — a span of 55 years. She assisted Charles’ ministry in United Methodist congregations in Lake Hopatcong, NJ; Topeka, KS; Marina, CA; and Gilroy.
A pianist, she was active for some years as Gilroy UMC’s choir director. In 1968 Mrs. Krahenbuhl began teaching in the Gilroy Unified School District, where she served for 38 years at San Ysidro, El Roble, and Rucker schools. She continued teaching while earning the MA in Instructional Technology from San Jose State University in 1985, in the same graduation ceremony as her son Jon, who was awarded his BA. She was honored by the California legislature as Santa Clara County Educator of the Year upon her retirement in 2006, and continued to substitute teach until the age of 77. She loved calligraphy and correspondence. Most of all, she loved her students and her family.
She is survived by Charles, her husband of 62 years; her sons and daughters-in-law, Lee Krahenbuhl and Nancy Smith of Silver Spring, Maryland and Jon Krahenbuhl and Kathleen Morelock of San Jose; granddaughter Brooks Krahenbuhl Eisenbise of Ann Arbor, Michigan; grandson Logan Krahenbuhl of Chico; and numerous nieces and nephews on both coasts and throughout the Midwest.
A memorial service will be held in Mrs. Krahenbuhl’s honor on Saturday, November 3 at 2:00 pm at Community Church of Almaden Valley UCC, 6581 Camden Avenue in San Jose, 95120-1908, (408) 268-0243. http://www.ccavucc.org/. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the non-profit Janice Laughlin Krahenbuhl Memorial Fund for Teacher/Student Classroom Supplies. Tax-deductible donations can be made online at http://gilroyfoundation.org/give/donate.php, or checks may be sent to: Janice Laughlin Krahenbuhl Memorial Fund, Gilroy Foundation, Tax ID #94-2719281, P .O. Box 774, Gilroy, CA 95020
