Janet L. Sorice ’76

Janet L. Sorice ’76 died at home in Norwich, Vermont, on September 24, 2014, following a 30-year fight against lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare disorder that destroys lungs and kidneys. Jan was a proud pioneer at Dartmouth, fighting with other women to overcome hostility and indifference to coeducation and always worked toward a better and more just world. She participated in the Dartmouth ski patrol and Dartmouth Outing Club, and earned a bachelor’s in anthropology. After graduation Jan promoted the Mashpee Tribe’s sovereignty rights and then moved to Alaska, where she was a manager of the state coastal management program. Jan enjoyed kayaking, fishing and hiking. Jan routinely exceeded sensible limits. Once an Alaskan crab boat mistakenly attempted a “rescue” when Jan was kayaking in the open ocean. After LAM struck, Jan researched effective treatments, then sacrificed her career, dreams of raising a family and Alaskan life to return to New England for treatment. There, with the support of friends, family, doctors, oxygen tanks and her indomitable spirit, Jan remained physically active while enduring years of hospitalizations and insurance bureaucracy. In 1995 Jan had a perilous double-lung transplant and then, in 2007, bought a final seven years by convincing her doctor to perform the high-risk implantation of a kidney donated by a dear friend. Jan never let LAM diminish her contagious love of life and the outdoors or her rare ability to build and share friendships across time and distance. She left a better world.