At Princeton, Jan joined Cloister Inn. Senior year he roomed with Allen Martin, John Forbes, and Jean-Pierre Cauvin. He earned a doctorate in education at Harvard, which led to his becoming a superintendent of schools in several Maine school districts. When Jan found himself reprimanding a subordinate in a meeting, he said, he decided he should retire.
He moved from studying painting part time to full time in New England, Hawaii, and New York City, and established a studio in Portland, Maine. His joyful, mostly abstract paintings were a combination of French Fauvists and a contemporary Dutch school. Jan played tournament bridge around the country with his companion of 30 years, Motoko Schoning.
Jan died Nov. 21, 2022, of a heart attack. He is survived by Motoko, a son from a prior marriage, one brother, and one sister.