Janice Buechmann

With the mixture of sadness and joy that marks the passing of a loved one from this life, we note the loss of our dear mother Janice Ethel Derby (Gandy) Buechmann on May 5, 2015 in Yakima. Born on January 20, 1931, the third daughter of Raymond and Blanche Derby, Jan spent nearly all of her 84 years in Yakima. She loved the hot dry summers and sage-covered hills of her birthplace. Jan graduated from Yakima High School in 1949 and married Eugene Gandy the following year. They raised three children together, and at one point partnered as real estate brokers. They divorced in 1984. In midlife, Jan returned to school and earned her nursing degree from Yakima Valley College in 1975. She continued her education, obtaining a bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University in 1979, and several nursing certifications. She worked for St. Elizabeth Hospital for twenty years, retiring in 1995. Deeply compassionate and devoted to her vocation, she excelled as a nurse and gained the respect of fellow health professionals and patients alike. Jan married Guenther Buechmann in 1991 and they enjoyed twenty-one happy years of marriage. They shared a love of art and filled their home with beauty and laughter. Throughout her lifetime Jan embraced many opportunities to engage in social clubs and to serve the community. As a young woman, she joined the Selah Jaycee Wives’ Club and Shelomi Club, Daughters of the Nile, and in later life, Rosalma Club. She also served on the board of directors of Planned Parenthood of Yakima, and was active in local Episcopal parishes, for many years a member of St. Timothy’s and later of St. Michael’s, where she served on the vestry. Jan is survived by her sister, Carolyn Elder, and her three children, Eugene Gandy, Jr. (Sheryl Watson) of Yakima, Max Gandy (Christine) of American Fork, Utah, and Shawna Gandy (Stephen Walton) of Portland, Oregon, as well as ten grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and her best friend, Jan Krug. Her parents, brother Raymond Derby, Jr., sister Patricia Derby White Soderstrom, and husband Guenther Buechmann predeceased her. A memorial service will be held at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church at 1:00 pm Saturday, June 20, with reception following at the church. In lieu of flowers, please send remembrances to St. Michael’s Episcopal Church or to a charity of your choice. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Janice Buechmann, please visit our flower store.