In Memoriam – February 2021

Each month, Tri Delta publishes In Memoriam, highlighting the lives of some of our Distinguished Deltas and longtime volunteers and sharing a full list of sisters who have recently passed away. Below is the In Memoriam for February 2021.

Jane Wiggin Gudgen York, Texas Christian 

It is with great sadness that Tri Delta shares the passing of loyal sister and former volunteer Jane Wiggin Gudgen York, Texas Christian. Jane’s time Tri Delta as a collegian at TCU ignited her lifelong passion and service to our sisterhood. She served Phi Lambda Chapter at TCU as alumna advisor, pledge advisor and Fraternity education advisor, guiding and inspiring numerous collegians who remain her close friends today.

Also a dedicated Horned Frog, Jane served on the TCU committee that studied deferred rush (today, recruitment) for TCU Greek organizations in 1976 and the TCU Tri Delta Scholarship Selection Committee 1972-75. Those Tri Delta scholarships, awarded to deserving TCU students, derived from decades long sales of TCU football programs. Jane was a devoted and dependable participant in the program sales for 15 years. Jane also served Tri Delta as National Pledge Training Chair and National State Meet Chair.

Jane’s dedication, skills and work ethic benefitted and enriched Tri Delta for over 60 years. Even more impactful, her legacy of countless Tri Delta relationships advanced the Fraternity, strengthened its sisterhood and blessed individual lives. Jane’s loyal friendship, sense of humor and fun, and her “can do” spirit will be greatly missed.

Elizabeth “Betty” Brook, Knox

Elizabeth “Betty” Brook passed away peacefully on Nov. 13, 2020, at 101 years old. Betty joined Tri Delta at Knox College where graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history. Following college she taught history for a year. But she was already thinking of travel, and during WWII she joined the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), part of the US Naval Reserve, and attained the rank Lieutenant Junior Grade, serving in Washington, D.C. After the war ended she joined the U.S. State Department Foreign Service where she worked in various capacities for 28 years.

During her career with the Foreign Service she was posted all over the world and served in many of the hotspots of the day, including Nigeria, Venezuela, Turkey, Morocco, Kenya and Germany. She was the Secretary to Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge in Saigon, Vietnam, when the embassy was bombed, for which she received a medal for Civilian Service.

In 2013 she told a reporter, “I spent 28 years traveling the world. I grew up in a little town and always said ‘I’m going to get out of here’ and I did. … I’m the type of person who enjoys whatever she’s doing; it makes life easier. Wherever I went, I found a nice group of people. I always had friends. I think it’s true in life that friends are the most important.”

Janice “Jan” McArt, DePauw

South Florida theatre legend and Tri Delta sister Janice “Jan” McArt passed away on Jan. 31. Known as “The First Lady of South Florida Musical Theatre” Jan had dreamed a stage career since she was a teenager. She first appeared in the national tour of “Oklahoma!” eventually appearing on Broadway in the 1950s to late 1970s.

After moving to Florida in the 1970s, Jan would go on to found five Florida theatres, including the Royal Palm Dinner Theatre, and

produce many shows, including a Broadway original musical “The Prince of Central Park.” As director of theatre arts and program development at Lynn University, Jan established and oversaw several theatrical series.

This In Memoriam list includes sisters who were reported as deceased to Executive Office Feb. 1–28, 2021. If you know of a sister who has passed away, please report her information to Executive Office by emailing memberrecords@trideltaeo.org.