Jana Tibbitts

Tibbitts, Jana Lynn 1/23/1962 - 1/28/2023 Allegan Jana Tibbitts, unexpectedly passed away on the evening of January 28th at the age of 61. Jana was born in Allegan to her parents Jim and Judy Wendt. Jana married her high school sweetheart and love of her life, Steve, shortly after college graduation. They were the proud parents of Julie and Nathan, never missing a school event or sporting match. She welcomed the addition of her two bonus children, Chase and Jayd, as her own. She was joyous to become a mom, an auntie, and most recently, Nana to three very special boys: Cayd, Emmett, and Foster. Her family was the center of her world, and she was the center of theirs. All her time outside of work was spent with Steve and her death has left a hole in his heart that can never be filled. Jana received her bachelor's degree in accounting from Western Michigan University in 1984 and earned her CPA license shortly thereafter. After 2 mergers in less than a year, she followed her mentor and future partner into a start-up practice. In 1997, she and Mary Flegal formed Flegal & Tibbitts and Jana opened the downtown Allegan office. She grew her practice to include three other CPAs and an office manager and started Tibbitts & Associates in 2014 when Mary was ready to retire. She continued to specialize in non-profit audits and helping non-profits meet regulations, while providing accounting services to small businesses, and tax services to businesses and individuals. She also served as the treasurer on the Allegan General Hospital board of directors for several years and continued as a member of the advisory board for Ascension Borgess Allegan Hospital. In 2021, Jana and Steve were given the Lifetime Achievement award for community service. She humbly tried to claim she was the smaller contributor, but Steve knew he was really riding her coattails. As dedicated as she was to the accuracy and integrity of her professional work, she was still the most caring and loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, and Nana there was. She was generous with her time, energy, and love. She loved unconditionally. There was nothing more important to her than time spent with family and friends, be it a hot summer day at Miner Lake, enjoying an excellent meal, or a trip to wine country. She enjoyed hosting family gatherings whether it be for holidays, birthdays, or just because, she made each one feel like a special event and was always planning for the next one. She greeted everyone who walked through the door with a huge, genuine smile, a hug, and a glass of wine, and it always had to be the good stuff. She knew what she loved in life and lived it fully. She is survived by her parents, Jim and Judy, husband, Steve, children, Julie (Chase) and Nathan (Jayd), sister, Jenny (Mark), sister-in-law, Cindy (Steve), mother-in-law, Joan, nieces, Amy (Logan) and Stephanie, and grandchildren, Cayd, Emmett, and Foster. Please visit Gorden Funeral Residence website (https://www.gordenfuneral.com/) or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/gordenandchappellfuneral) for additional information regarding funeral services. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Sylvia's Place (P.O. Box 13, Allegan, MI 49010; https://sylviasplace.com/take-action/donate/) or the Educational Foundation of Allegan Public School (550 Fifth Street, Allegan, MI 49010; https://alleganps.org/educational-foundation/).