Janet Sywassink Witte

San Diego, California – Janet Sywassink Witte passed away on November 9, 2025 at
Belmont Village Sabre Springs surrounding by family and loving care providers.

She was born on May 22, 1932, to Dr. George Albert and Carol Vandenberg Sywassink
in Muscatine, Iowa. Her father, a highly regarded surgeon, owned a home close to the
Mississippi River, and provided a joyous life for Janet, and three siblings: Carol, Joan,
and the youngest, George Albert (GA), Jr.

After graduating from Muscatine High School in 1950, Janet followed in the steps of
her two sisters to the University of Iowa, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal
arts in 1954. During her collegiate years, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta
Sorority, from 1950-54 – serving as the President in 1954; was a member of Panhellenic
Council; on the Hawkeye Yearbook staff; and Honorary Cadet Colonel in 1954.

As an adult Janet lived in Iowa, California, then Naples, Italy, before finally settling in
Maryland. Here, she became a permanent resident of Rockville, Maryland, where she
lived for over 50 years raising her three children, Lisa, Scott, and Lori. Throughout,
Janet worked at the American Speech, Hearing, and Language Association (ASHA), in
Bethesda, Maryland. Her professional career at ASHA spanned 32 consecutive years,
from 1970-2002; first as an office assistant and later as the office manager. An
admirable tenure.

In June 2018, she relocated to paradise in San Diego, California, where she moved to
Belmont Village Senior Living Community, 10 minutes from her youngest daughter,
Lorayne (Lori). Janet thrived during her last years of life, enjoying Sunday dinners with
Lori, her son-in-law, and grandchildren, and frequent visits with the family’s cats.

Janet is survived by her daughter, Lorayne Witte Burley, of San Diego, CA; son-in-law,
William Burley Ph.D.; son, Scott Thompson Witte, DVM, Ph.D., of Lafayette, NJ; and
her beloved grandchildren, Sara Iravani, Emma Burley, Christopher Burley, Nicole
Witte Moore, and Rory Witte, as well as her great grandchildren, Sonny Iravani Marsh,
and Margot Moore (Witte). She is also survived by her dearest brother, GA Sywassink,
and sister in-law, Shirley Sywassink of Hilton Head Island, S.C.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her two sisters, Carol Sywassink Gatzke and
Joan Sywassink McKay; her daughter, Lisa Carol Witte; and daughter-in-law, Barbara
Upton Witte, DVM.

The family wishes to thank the outstanding staff at Belmont Village Sabre Springs for
their respectful and loving care of Janet.

A private family memorial service will be held in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina,
where Janet will be laid to rest alongside her daughter Lisa Carol.

“We are all visitors to this time, this place. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to
grow, to love . . . and then we return home” ~ Aboriginal Proverb

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