Janis Marie Zivic was born July 17, 1942, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the youngest child of former 1940 World Welterweight Boxing Champion Fritzie Zivic and his wife, Helen Stokan Zivic. She grew up alongside her brothers, Fritz and Chuck.
Jan earned a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Pittsburgh, beginning a lifelong dedication to education. She taught American literature and writing at Upper St. Clair High School in Pittsburgh, where she created and taught the elective The Art of the Cinema. She believed deeply that literature and film illuminate the human experience, and viewed teaching as a way to foster curiosity, empathy, and insight far beyond the classroom. She also served as an advisor to the school’s literary magazine and maintained a lifelong love of reading and writing.
After relocating to San Francisco, Jan transitioned into the corporate world, working in the personnel department at Crown Zellerbach. Following a series of promotions, she founded The Zivic Group, Inc., which she led for eleven years, specializing in the recruitment of senior executives for major corporations. The firm was later acquired by Spencer Stuart.
In 1986, with her partner Paula Chamberlin, Jan embraced the joy of raising her daughter, Jessica Zivic Chamberlin, who became the pride and center of her life.
In 1998, Jan sustained traumatic brain injuries following a collision with a truck, bringing her executive career to a close. After extensive rehabilitation, and driven by her desire for meaningful contribution, she co-founded vibrantBrains, a “health club for the brain,” with her then-partner Lisa Schoonerman. Committed to growth and creativity at every stage of life, Jan later earned a master of fine arts from the University of San Francisco, an achievement of which she was immensely proud.
Throughout her life, Jan was an educator, a corporate recruiter, and a passionate force for good in her community. She served in leadership roles across numerous educational, cultural, and philanthropic organizations, including as President of the boards of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Lambda Literary Foundation, the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center, the Katherine Delmar Burke Independent School, the San Francisco Library Commission, the California Executive Recruiters Association (as its first female president), and the San Francisco Family Service Agency (also as its first female president).
In recognition of her extraordinary leadership and service, Jan was named Woman of the Year by the San Francisco Cable Car Awards and received the Maya Angelou Community Leadership Award from the University of California.
Jan was a fighter—not in the way her father was, but with remarkable resilience, grace, and determination. Over the course of her life, she survived brain cancer and pancreatic cancer, facing each diagnosis with courage and deep gratitude for the healthcare professionals who cared for her.
To honor the nurses and caregivers who supported her through these medical journeys, Jan established the Jan Zivic Career Development Award for Patient Care Assistants at UCSF. This fund supports exceptional Patient Care Assistants who aspire to become licensed nurses, helping remove financial barriers to advancing their education and careers. Through this lasting gift, Jan sought to strengthen the healthcare community and uplift those whose compassion and dedication make a profound difference in patients’ lives.
Despite her many accomplishments and honors, Jan remained grounded, warm, and deeply kind. She treated everyone with care and respect, possessed a wonderful sense of humor, and could light up any room. Family always came first, and her love for her daughter Jessie was unwavering and boundless.
Jan had recently relocated to Living Out, an LGBTQ+ community in Palm Springs, where she died suddenly following a fall.
She is survived by her daughter, Jessie Zivic Chamberlin; her nieces, Jennifer, Melissa, and Sarah; and her nephews, Fritz and Jeffrey. She was predeceased by her niece, Charlotte. Her loving pets, Ashby and Biscuit, will be taken care of by Jessie.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Jan Zivic Career Development Award for Patient Care Assistants at UCSF (Project ID 7032088) by donating here: https://bit.ly/49ylTiN
In Memoriam
Published on January 15, 2026
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