Jan Sutcliffe-Brown (Rosebrough) born February 3, 1958 is a native New Zealander, affectionately known as "a kiwi". She was born to the late Arthur Leslie Sutcliffe and Alice Gleeson. She departed this earthly life on May 21, 2022.
Jan trained as and was a NZ registered Physiotherapist who after two years of general work chose to specialize in Pediatrics. She first worked in Pediatrics at Auckland hospital, then went on to work for the community based Visiting Neurodevelopmental Therapy Service, including leading the team before leaving her home country in 1989 to pursue working in disability programs for a non-governmental agency and in developing countries.
Before pursuing her passion for working with children and families through Save the Children’s Fund, Jan was a very talented dancer and choreographer and was heavily involved in musical theatre in Auckland, New Zealand.
Her passion for working with children and families living with differing abilities and neurodiversity and for partnering with government and local resources to strengthen networks, promote inclusion and support the children and families in living their best lives led her to break many barriers in the field of childhood disability and special education internationally; spending several years in Fiji, Saudi Arabia, England and lastly, the United States.
Her journey would lead her to Abilities First in 2001 and after being responsible for leading the agency's Pediatric Therapies and Early Childhood Learning Center (inclusive child care program), Jan developed the Autism Learning Center in 2009 and took on the role of Executive Director of the agency in July 2019.
In Jan’s own words she says; “I never imagined that my career path and life choices would bring me so many diverse experiences and learning opportunities; my entire family and group of friends saw me as a "home body.' Now all these years later, I have faced, met and overcome situations and challenges professionally and personally of which I was afraid and I have learned about my own strength and resilience along the way.
I have had experiences I never dreamed of and have been honored with incredible kindness, gratitude and friendship in places I have worked and lived; because of these things I am more conscious of being kind and not judging others in life, generally.”
She is preceded in death by her parents and brothers, David Rinne Sutcliffe and Richard Ian Sutcliffe. She is survived by her devoted husband of 17 years, Ed Rosebrough, her sisters; Beverly Alice Barnes (Des), Carol Ann Newsom and brother; Brett Edwin Sutcliffe (Evaline); nieces; Gail Maclean and nephews; Richard Newson, Keith Muller and Patrick Newsome and many close friends and colleagues.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.andersonfunerals-franklin.com for the Sutcliffe-Brown family.
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