Jan Yi Pasnak

Jan Yi Pasnak passed away in Richmond, Virginia on November 28th, 2020 after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer. Jan is survived by her husband of 35 years, Mark J. Pasnak, her beloved cats Annikan and Leia, and her dog, Sasha. 

Born in Korea, Jan’s mother moved her to the U.S. at a young age. She was raised in Birmingham, AL. A highly educated woman, Jan completed her undergraduate studies and went on to get her Master’s in Nurse Anesthesia at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). 

 In 2018, she received her Doctorate in Nurse Anesthesia Practice from VCU.

Jan served as a CRNA within the VCU Health System Department of Anesthesiology for 17 years. She was an exceptional clinician who mentored generations of nurse anesthesia students and residents. Jan was a devoted member of the liver transplant team, and a tremendous resource for the Department of Anesthesiology, serving as an IT informatics expert – a role she graciously adopted in addition to her clinical duties. Jan was well respected by her colleagues and will be greatly missed. 

Jan was breathtakingly ageless. Even her closest friends never knew when she was born, but they took great pleasure in celebrating her birthday with her on May 20th each year.  She was a beautiful soul who will be remembered for her generosity, quick wit, contagious personality, and zest for life. 

Jan’s passions included adventure travel, running, CrossFit, yoga, and socialization with friends. Jan accomplished many athletic feats, including summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro (while suffering from a stress fracture!) and annually running various marathons and half marathons in the U.S. and abroad.

A celebration of Jan’s life will be held in the Spring of 2021. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Jan Y. Pasnak scholarship fund to support nurse anesthesia students in the VCU Department of Nurse Anesthesia: https://www.support.vcu.edu/give/nrsa?des=1097

Notes of condolence may be addressed to Jan’s husband, Mark, at his home address: 3209 River Run Lane, Glen Allen, VA 23059.