Janice “Jan” Ann (Rapley) Clabuesch passed away in Bad Axe, MI, on February 26, 2015, at the age of 76.

A native of Flint, MI, Jan attended high school in Rock Island, IL. She attended Rockford and Augstana Colleges receiving her Bachelor of Music Education in 1961. She moved to Los Angeles, CA, to teach elementary music. During this period she became interested in the Orff-Schulwerk approach and obtained a Master Certificate for the teaching of this philosophy of music education. Jan was married to James “Jake” Soderberg from 1962 to 1970. She obtained a Masters of Music degree from San Francisco State University. In 1978, she was hired by the California State University, Chico (CSUC) to teach classes in Music Education for Elementary Teachers, using the Orff-Schulwerk approach. Working at CSUC, she lived in Chico until her retirement and marriage to Walter F. “Fred” Clabuesch in 2000.

She co-founded, organized, and held offices, including President, in the local American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA) chapters in San Francisco and Chico, CA. Jan also held many leadership positions at the National level, including President of AOSA in 1983-84. She conducted workshops in Orff-Schulwerk nationally and internationally and co-authored three books with Grace C. Nash.

Jan was predeceased by her mother and father. She is survived by her husband, Fred, sisters, Barbara “Barb” Lakewold of Deer Park, WA; Elizabeth “Liz” Laverno of Menomonie, WI; and Marilyn “Mare” Van Meter of Oklahoma City, OK. A Memorial Service will be scheduled at a later date for the residents of the park where they spent their winters.