Jan Leslie Calloway

Jan Leslie Marie Calloway was born on May 1, 1954, in Detroit, Michigan as the first child of Lucius Bernard Calloway, DDS and Martina Marvel Mouton Calloway, a teacher. She was soon joined in the family by her sister, Lori, and brothers Christopher and John.

Jan’s love of reading began early and enabled her to skip the third grade at the Academy of the Sacred Heart, where she was the first Black student to attend kindergarten through twelfth grade and graduate with honors.

 Jan enrolled at Manhattanville College as a Spanish major and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1975. She then began postgraduate work at Columbia University and received a Master of Arts as a teacher of English to speakers of other languages in 1977.

 Jan chose to bring her Spanish language proficiency to public service, after working as an educator for several years. She passed the rigorous Federal interpreter examination in 1998 and participated in many complex and varied cases with professionalism and detailed accuracy. To enhance her legal expertise, she earned a paralegal certificate from New York University in 2013.

Jan deeply loved and respected Latin culture and always wanted her Spanish to be “perfect, perfect.” Outside of the courtroom, she traveled to Cuba, Colombia, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Spain and Mexico. In New York, she loved festivals, reading books by Latin authors from her extensive library and dancing in Salsa class.

Jan was also devoted to her dog, Parker, who is a rescue from the Bahamas. He brought her much “entertainment” and was a steady walking buddy in the neighborhood for her.

Brilliant mind, courageous spirit, sensitive heart. May Jan’s memory be a blessing. We’ll miss her.

Lori T. Calloway