610
August 2015
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
Janette Gervin was an active member of ASPRS from 1976 until she passed on May 4, 2004 at
the age of 56. At the time of her passing, Jan was serving as the Conference Chair for the 2005
Annual Conference in Baltimore, the meeting at which I was inducted as the President of the
Society. This connection made me feel compelled to honor her as my first subject; and when I
contacted Bill Hemple, the outgoing chair of the committee, he told me that he also had her in
mind for this year’s address. So it seemed “meant to be”. The problem I encountered was that, in
trying to contact Jan’s former colleagues and family, I discovered quickly that I wouldn’t be able
to find anyone to invite or to represent her today. Even her coworkers and friends from ASPRS
knew little about her on a personal level. This made me feel even more committed to talking about
her today, even though my presentation doesn’t exactly fit the mold of the traditional Memorial
Address.
My own memories of Jan are typical of others who I talked to about her. She had a warm and
gentle personality. She is remembered as an encouraging and inspiring mentor, who was very
dedicated to service as an ASPRS Division Director, National Board Member, and officer of the
Potomac Region. The fact that others don’t remember many personal details is to me an indication
of her selflessness and confirms that the focus of her energy was others, making them want to
become more involved with ASPRS themselves.
Jan’s many professional accomplishments at NASA are enumerated in the obituary that was
published in PE&RS.
She was a remote sensing manager and research scientist with NASA for
over 30 years, holding positions of increasing responsibility at Goddard Space Flight Center
and Kennedy Space Center. Her scientific work revolved around the topics of atmospheric
measurement and modeling, as well as analysis of Landsat MSS and TM data. She served on the
Space Station Task Force at NASA Headquarters. As a science program manager, she designed,
developed and managed remote sensing research and applications projects with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, and the states of Delaware, Virginia, and
Illinois in suburban land use, flood mitigation, wetland mapping, and forest management.
I met Jan in my early days as a Board Member, at a time when the women board members had a
traditional “ladies night” out at every annual conference. I personally remember Jan as being very
quiet but also very friendly, welcoming, and encouraging. Many of the women who participated in
this group, Tina Cary, Peggy Harwood, Nancy Tubbs and others, have retired or at least no longer
travel to conferences on a regular basis, so none of them are here to share their memories of Jan.
Peggy sent me an email yesterday saying “Our society lost a bundle of energy with Jan’s untimely
death. What impressed me as a friend and colleague was her interest in living with a richness many
dream but few experience. Every vacation or work related travel was an opportunity to study the
local geology/ecology and to make friends. She was full of stories.Although our remembrance of
Jan today may fall short of the traditional standard of an ASPRS Memorial Address, and while
none of her family members are here to share our honoring of her service, I feel that Jan is exactly
the type of person who is deserving of recognition for her unassuming, yet substantive, presence
in our society. She was one with whom one could truly feel the spirit of companionship, and Jan,
wherever you are now, I hope you feel touched by the blessing of our memories and appreciation.
Memorial Address
J
anette
C. G
ervin
1947-2004
