A Love Story
On August 5, 2011, Jan Hall-Lunn turned to her husband Robert and said "I love you" as she dropped him off at work. They would be the last words she ever spoke to him. Later that morning, Robert got a call that Jan had suffered a brain aneurysm at work. Despite surgery and a brief stay in a rehab facility, Jan never regained consciousness and died on September 26th.
Despite the tragedy of her passing, the story of Jan and Robert Lunn is one of the triumph of life and love. They met at work in 2000 – he was a security guard in Hunt Valley where Jan worked for Fidelity Insurance. In something of a twist, it was Jan who first asked out Robert, to the company Christmas party. Robert had long been smitten with Jan and was determined to make a lasting impression. "I went 'all out,' says Robert, "buying a new suit, shoes, flowers, and even a piece of jewelry so she would have a Secret Santa gift to open in front of her colleagues. Jan was the most beautiful and kind woman that ever was." His thoughtfulness more than paid off: Jan and Robert wed in February 2001. A beautiful 10-year marriage began.
Following Jan's death, Robert, his stepson Bill, daughter-in-law Erica and grandchildren were heartbroken. But they were thankful that they could honor one of Jan's wishes. She was an organ donor, giving the gift of life that would mean someone could receive a new kidney, new cornea, perhaps a new heart or lungs. "During her life, Jan changed people's lives in countless ways. That did not stop with her passing," says Robert. In April 2016, families of UM St. Joseph Medical Center patients who were organ donors, attended a ceremony presented by the Living Legacy organization and saw their loved one's name inscribed on the beautiful Tree of Life, that graces the main hallway.
For Robert, it was an affirmation of all that was right and good about Jan and her deep faith. "What better gift can you give to someone," asks Robert. "Jan has made people healthy while her spirit is soaring free." My wife published a book titled 'A Wife's Heart – Prayers For My Husband' in 2006. It concludes 'So until we meet again, from my heart to your heart, God Bless.'" A love story, indeed.
To make a charitable gift online, please visit our online donation form. For more information about giving to the medical center, please call 410-337-1397 or e-mail SJFoundation@umm.edu.