July 3, 2012
Bremer, Janna
Janna Mae Bremer, a resident of Norwood, died Monday, July 2, 2012 at the Norwood Hospital following a courageous six year battle with cancer. Born December 23, 1942 in Gary, Indiana, Janna was the first daughter of John and Mae L. (Johnson) Bremer. She graduated in 1960 from Norwood High School and from American University in Washington, D.C. in 1964. Janna served in the Peace Corps in Tunisia from 1965 to 1966 and discovered that she liked teaching English to the high school students there. When she returned to the States she began substitute teaching and then secured a position as a social studies teacher at King Philip Regional High School. During her 38 year tenure there she served as department chair, was named Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year by the DAR, and received the Charles Mitsakos Award for Outstanding Social Studies Supervisor. She was an integral member of the Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies and served as Executive Secretary until her death. She began the girls’ track team at King Philip Regional in 1972 and remained coach until her retirement in 2005. She continued to officiate at high school meets for the past seven years. Janna was inducted into the King Philip Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. During her life Janna traveled extensively, loved animals and had many pets, and was active in her church where she served on the Board of Trustees, sang in the chancel choir, and performed with the senior bell choir. She will be remembered by everyone for her positive attitude and unwavering faith. Janna was preceeded in death by her parents and leaves to cherish her memory her two sisters, Cheryll Tredo, and her husband William, of Norton, and Andrea LaMar of Springfield, Ohio; two nephews, Jason LaMar of Hilliard, Ohio and his children, Grant and Drake LaMar, and Nathan LaMar, and his wife Heather, of Springfield, Ohio, and their children, Savannah and Tug Buchanan; as well as numerous other relatives and friends. A Memorial Service to celebrate Janna’s life will be held Saturday, July 7th at 11 AM at the First Congregational Church, 100 Winter Street, Norwood. In lieu of flowers donations in Janna’s memory may be made to the First Congregational Church, 100 Winter St, Norwood, MA 02062 or to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen Street, Framingham, MA 01701.
Comments(27)
My thoughts and prayers go out to your friends and family. Thank you for pushing me to be the best i could be!
Our condolence and prayers extend to the family and friends from the Attleboro Girls Track teams. Her presence will surely be missed in the Hockomock League.
Janna’s loss is deeply felt by her former colleagues and friends. I had the pleasure of working with her in the KPHS social studies department for several years. I most admired Janna’s strength, courage and unflagging hope as she battled the disease that ultimately took her life. I mourn her loss and offer my sincere sympathy to all her loved ones. I will continue to remember her in my prayers.
Janna was deeply devoted to her students and I was privileged to have been able to work with her at King Philip for about thirty five years. Moreover I will miss her as a friend. She will be sadly missed by students, family, friends and colleagues. She was an inspiration to all her knew her. My condolences to her family.
My condolences to Cheryll and Andrea and their spouses and children. I was so happy to hear that she was able to attend the recent family gathering and that she was fortunate to have you care for her. I ran the Boston Marathon this year in her honor and as expected she offered me best wishes and advice race day morning and had already texted me before I even got home from the race!! She mentioned she had an excellent chemo session that week thinking of my race. From one cancer patient to another….I couldn’t have asked for more. Your family remains in my prayers.
I was lucky enough to have Ms. Bremer as a teacher and coach in high school, and as a mentor while doing my student teaching in college. My thoughts and prayers are with all of her loved ones. She’ll be missed.
amazing teacher and coach.
Ms. Bremer made a profound difference in my life and challenged me as a student and I was so happy to develop a friendship with her over the years since graduation. I will miss her sense of humor, her love of history and politics, and especially her great laugh.
My prayers are with you all in Norwood. I will be thinking of you all, especially tomorrow, as you celebrate the glorious life of a most wonderful woman. Hugs abound and much love, Beverly
Janna was a joy to work with. Always upbeat and always had a smile. She was loved by staff and students. Deepest sympathies to her family.
Ms. Bremer’s passing is a loss to all who had the privilege of knowing her. She was Class Advisor for the class of 1968 at King Philip and helped many of us with our journey through high school. To have my children also experience her mentoring is also a blessing. She will be missed! The angels await you, Janna!
My sincere condolences to Janna’s family. She was a wonderful person who had a great desire to promote social studies education not only in Massachusetts but across the nation. Most importantly she was a caring individual whose spirit will always be among those who had the opportunity to work with her over the yrears. My thoughts and prayers go out to her relatives at this time.
I shall miss Janna. She was a person who left an impact on the lives she touched. Whether they were students, friends, fellow church members or family, her friendship was to be valued. Janna knew how to live and she knew how to die. She taught us all a valuable lesson.
My greatest sympathy to Cherry, Andrea, and the family.
Shelby
Janna was a vibrant individual, so inspirational and positive, so very kind and modest about her many accomplishments. My condolences to her family and her many friends and former students. I will miss her very much. What a lovely person, what a generous and loving soul.
What a vibrant lady. I am happy to have known her. Even after my years at KP, I stayed in touch with her. She is someone who was always ready to learn. I will miss her great sense of humor and thirst for knowledge.
Miss. Bremer, Missing amongst the many well deserving accolades are the many, many memories of a faithful drama coach. You breathed life into Godspel for this at-risk youth. You loving drew out of me a passion for Jesus Christ. This one teacher motivated my dreams to become a minister. This one teacher motivated my dreams to work with at-risk youth. This one teacher motivated my dreams to visit Tunisia and so these dreams, motivated by this one singular teacher, pushed this heart to accomplished them all. Go in peace you most wonderful child of God, go in peace.
Janna was an inspiration to many in everything she did. She fought long and hard. She will be missed by many.
Ditto to all the prior positive observations shared about Janna.
I first met Janna way back (7th? or 8th? grade?) as my SS teacher. While she loved teaching her students she also loved mentoring them and was never gunshy to interact as a REAL person.
We (the KPRHS class of 1968) were lucky and honored to have Janna as one of our Class Advisors, a role that morphed into life-long relationships with many of us as I’m sure it did with all others Janna touched over the years as a great teacher and giving person.
I will fondly remember sharing good times with Janna and her family (including those good times way back at the Scotch Highland Games at Loon Mtn etc).
Greetings Chery and Andrea, know we are with you now and miss her too.
Be Well,
Steve
It was wonderful to see everyone who came today. Here is a brief section of the eulogy I read today at Janna’s memorial service…
Fortunately for me, I became Janna’s student when I was a high school freshman in 1993, and I was lucky enough to have her again for my junior year of high school for US history. I went off to college, and later taught in Japan and Hawaii before coming back to teach Social Studies here in Massachusetts. Of course, Janna took me under her wing and shared the advice, support and opportunities that came from her 38 years of teaching Social Studies. So she has been a teacher, a mentor, and a friend to me. There are so many of Janna’s qualities that have inspired me, and I’m sure she has inspired many of you. Janna taught me about generosity, true listening, humility, leadership, compassion, humor, perseverance, fearlessness, and joy.
I was not one of her track stars, however, I hope that I honor her memory in my own history classroom. She will always be a true role model.
In memory of Janna’s kind assistance to the Robert W. Topham, Jr. VFW Post 9658 in arranging the student scholarship essay program. She shall be missed by many!
Janna’s laugh bubbled up from her feet, it was infectious. Her wit, sense of humor and keen intellect was so much appreciated. We last shared a drink(or two) and many laughs at my 35th class reunion (KP ’68). She was a wonderful mentor in high school to many and it continued well beyond graduation. I shall miss that smile, that laughter and that wonderful connection we shared. I shall treasure the memories…she made a great difference in my life. Here is to a wonderful teacher and human being!
Janna was an incredible person whose tremendous dedication to education will be sorely missed. I feel very lucky to have worked with someone who was so willing to give her time and energies to helping others. My heartfelt condoloences to Janna’s family and friends.
In addition to her family, she also leaves many loving students, who were lucky enough to be in her class, and to be inspired by her. A very rare, fun, interesting, motivating, and sweet soul. I remember her GREAT laugh, her stories about her world travels, and have thought of her over the years with great fondness, as I know many of us do. Prayers and thanks to you as you make your journey Miss Bremer.
Miss Bremer was my teacher for african studies at King Philip High School. Everyone in the class loved her. She was the kindest teacher I ever had. She was also my track coach. Sorry to here of her passing. I will always remember her smile. God bless you Janna. Anita
I was fortunate enough to have Ms. Bremer for history at KPHS in 1987. She was an involved, devoted, inspirational teacher who encouraged me to work hard and be the best student I could be. Although I lost touch with her after high school, I never forgot her. When my mother died suddenly last year, she sent me such a thoughtful and heart-felt card. I was amazed that she even remembered me. My sincere condolences to her family and friends. Although she will be missed she’s left behind quite a legacy of students and athletes all of whom were positively impacted in some way.
My deepest condolences to Ms. Bremer’s family. I truly enjoyed having her as my teacher at KPHS, she was a true inspiration.