Janet Shaner

She was born on July 16, 1942, to Kelton and Laura Hiesrodt in Coldwater, Michigan, where she lived until after graduating from Coldwater High School. To the shock of the town and her parents she enrolled in the Chicago School of Fashion Design and left her small town with her sewing machine in hand to pursue dreams in a new world filled with concrete. It was in Chicago, IL that she met her husband of 46 years, Ken Shaner. The two of them embarked on a life full of adventures raising their three children, Mike, Laura, and Mary in Westover, West Virginia for 25 years. Again, to the shock of the town, Jan went up and left her small town with sewing machine in hand and landed on Maui, Hawaii in 1990 to pursue dreams in a new world full of color. However, upon landing on Maui Jan dropped her sewing machine and picked up a paint brush and palette knife and never looked back. Jan’s energetic world exploded in color as she found her true passion and calling, oil painting on locations all over Maui and the rest of the Hawaiian Islands with her Plein Air Painters of Maui crew. With her newfound creative outlet, Jan’s zest for life and painting took on a life of its own for the next 33 years. Jan was well known for her use of vibrant colors and how fast she would paint and crank out paintings on locations and paint outs. She said she just couldn’t get enough of it so just painted, painted, painted. Her passion and love of Hawaii is evident in all her colorful works of art.

Jan is survived by her three children, Michael Shaner, Laura Shaner-Gale, and Mary Roth. She is also survived by her six grandchildren, Allie Shaner, Samuel Shaner, Anna Shaner, Makena Gale, Noah Roth, and Deziree Roth. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Ellen Hiesrodt.

Jan is also survived by her beloved spiritual husband of the last 10 years, James “Tex” Wilson. The two of them spent Jan’s remaining years galivanting around the island of Maui listening to music, enjoying the views and most importantly enjoying the easy companionship of each other.

Jan is also survived by her many friends, and neighbors who she called family for many years.

Jan is preceded by her beloved husband, Kenneth Shaner, her two brothers, Dave & Bob Hiesrodt, her parents, and her sisters-in-law Dorothy Cowling and Helen Aberth.

In lieu of flowers please donate to: Lahaina Arts Society, P.O. Box 12261, Lahaina , HI 96761