Janet Suiter Rost, aged 84, died peacefully at home surrounded by her family on Monday, February 29^th.   Jan will be remembered as a steadfast advocate of the arts in Indianapolis as well as a remarkable wife, mother and friend.

Jan was born in the tiny town of Ida Grove, Iowa and attended the University of Iowa where she was one of the first graduates of the Speech Pathology program. A member of the Scottish Highlanders, she played bagpipes and danced her way through Europe. At Iowa, she met Robert Rost, who became her husband of 61 years. After living on the west coast, in 1968 they settled in Indianapolis where she worked as a kindergarten teacher and special educator at The Orchard School.   She volunteered at Footlite Musicals, was elected President of the board and obtained the former Civic Theatre to create a permanent home for the organization in 1977. She continued to work tirelessly to solicit support for Footlite, raising more than a million dollars. In 2013 she was awarded the E. Edward Green Memorial Award for her contributions to the arts and in 2015, was honored by Footlite for her lifetime achievements including a city-wide proclamation of “Jan Rost Day” from the Mayor.

Jan also served as the Executive Director at the American Pianist Association, on the Board for Dance Kaleidoscope and as consultant for special events for the Indianapolis Opera Company. She was a member of The Players, serving as a board member, tech crew and producer.

Moving to Lions Head in 2003, Jan served on the board for the resident association and was a regular participant at the weekly social and the pool. Jan will be remembered for her honesty, her irreverence, her loyalty and her passion for life. She is survived by her devoted husband Bob, daughters Lisa and Glenna, sons-in-laws Cameron and Mike and her grandchildren Margaret, Audrey and Sam.   Calling will take place at Harry Moore at 8151 Allisonville Road from 4 to 7pm on Friday, March 4^th, and a Celebration of Life on Saturday at Footlite, 615 N. Alabama at 1pm.