In Memory

Janet "Jan" McCallon (Lange) - Class Of 1964

Janet Jan McCallon (Lange)

Sep 12, 1946 -  Oct 30, 2023


Janet M. Lange passed away on October 30, after a lengthy battle with ALS. She was 77. Janet was born in Hemet, CA on September 13, 1946, the daughter of Thomas and Joanne McCallon. She grew up in Lynwood, Glendora and Claremont, CA, graduating from Claremont High School in 1964. After attending junior college, she went to work for IBM and later Kerr Foods before moving to Arizona. Returning to CA in 1976 to care for her grandmother in Oceanside, she met the love of her life, Lee Lange, a Marine officer assigned to Camp Pendleton. Lee was also a graduate of Claremont High School, Class of 1966 but the two didn't know each other in high school. Their meeting was arranged by Lee's sister, Linda, who worked with Janet in Arizona. Friends say this meeting was meant to be. Janet later returned to school and graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Child Development. After a five-year courtship, Lee and Janet were married in Spokane, WA on May 23, 1981. They had two daughters, Jennifer, and Heather, and spent the next twenty years moving across the country and overseas. Lee's assignments took the family back to Camp Pendleton, then Quantico, VA, Seoul, Korea, Washington, D.C, North Carolina and back to Northern VA.

Lee retired in 2001 and started a second career at the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). After many years raising her daughters, Janet went back to work at the Marine Corps Association in Quantico, VA and later became a realtor - her favorite job. Lee and Janet retired in 2013 and moved to Anthem, AZ to be near Lee's parents. Both daughters also moved to AZ. Lee and Janet joined the Arizona Chapter, MOAA. Janet became a Board of Directors member and the editor of the award-winning chapter newsletter for five years. Lee and Janet traveled frequently around the United Sates and to numerous countries in Europe. She was diagnosed with ALS in late 2022 and kept active as long as she could, seeing her beloved grandchildren, family, and friends. 

Lee and Janet celebrated their forty-second anniversary in 2023. She was preceded in death by her parents and is survived by her husband, Lee, much loved dog, Pixie, daughters Jennifer and Heather, both of Phoenix, and grandchildren Zachary, Elizabeth, Hannah, Seth, Macy, Noelle, Lyric, and Imogen. She is also survived by her brothers Tom of Riverside, CA, Mark of Garden Grove, CA and sister Susan of Cottonwood, AZ. Janet was loved by all who knew her and would light up any room with her presence. She maintained a strong relationship with God, which gave her great strength in dealing with her difficult illness. She was not afraid.

A Celebration of Life will be held on December 2, at the Messenger Funeral Home, 8555 E Pinnacle Peak Rd, Scottsdale, AZ at 3:00 PM. A reception will follow. Donations may be made to the ALS Association, Phoenix, AZ at https://alsaz.org.