We are incredibly saddened to share the news that Jan Milligan, our longtime former camp director has passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Jan was surrounded with love from those whose lives she touched deeply. Her husband of 47 years, Doug was by her side and ensured that she was able to spend her final days at their beautiful home on Vashon Island.
Jan first discovered Camp Sealth in the 1960s as a camper and joined the staff team. She spoke fondly of the friends she made, describing how they planned each session’s adventures together. A week with a canoe overnight in 5th grade was a favorite memory. Jan especially loved waterfront living and sailing on Colvos Passage. Fellow staff members became her lifelong friends.
In the 1970s, she directed Camp Nawakwa, a Camp Fire camp in southern California. It was here that Jan met Doug, who was a lifeguard/maintenance staff member. This was the start of a lifelong partnership and his many decades of stewardship of camp facilities.
Jan served as Camp Sealth’s director from 1993-2008 and under her leadership camp grew serving many more youth and families. She established a school-year outdoor education program, added more Camp Fire group events and welcomed other non-profit groups who hosted retreats at camp. She also grew summer camp participation; her team remembers her creatively finding ways to add additional campers to already full sessions. The thriving Camp Sealth we know today is due in huge part to Jan’s vision.
Focusing on the “camper experience” guided Jan’s leadership style. She embodied the values of Camp Fire and instilled them in her staff, embracing the philosophy of small-group programming, camper choice, and building connections to the natural world. She advocated for kids with disabilities and developed programs to support their inclusion at camp.
She expected the best from herself, and taught her staff to strive for the same. As Jan grew Camp Sealth’s year-round team, she mentored young adults who were starting their own careers. Her straightforward communication style came from a clear vision of what was best for camp, and was balanced with kindness. Jan knew when to make an encouraging comment, and when to leave treats for staff who’d had a challenging day.
Jan led by example and was willing to take on any task, no matter how big or small, with a determination to keep camp running smoothly. She could cook breakfast for a full dining hall, dig a ditch, make a garbage run, or deep clean a bathroom. Perhaps her favorite self-assignment was mowing the grass, including one late-night mower excursion in the orchard.
And while directing the day-to-day operations of a 400-acre camp is a big job, Jan also had a playful side. She once donned a veil and played scratchy violin at the funeral of a beloved camp truck. She was known to communicate in code over the camp walkie talkies with phrases like, “the moose is on the pickle!”
Having learned to play guitar as a camper, she gave informal lessons in her office. She could play many camp songs from memory, sometimes encouraging new learners, “it’s just a G chord progression!” A lover of Hawaii, Jan occasionally served camper-appropriate drinks “on the lanai” of the health house. In the fall, she and her staff would dress up for the Vashon Halloween parade. Years later, she said of the camp director job, “It was hard work … but we had a lot of fun.”
Along with designing camp programs, Jan was passionate about the site and facilities that supported them. Her attention to detail was apparent throughout camp: refreshed coats of paint in matching colors, thoughtful updates to facilities, the addition of a volleyball court and later the Gaga pit. The hundreds of wooden bunk beds were a multi-year project, built onsite by our maintenance staff to replace old metal spring cots. With her forestry degree and love of the outdoors, Jan also encouraged staff and campers to be stewards of Sealth’s woods, wetlands and waterfront. Her handwriting can still be found in parts of camp on carved wooden trail signs.
Among many facilities projects, Jan was most proud of managing a rebuild of the seawall, removing old timbers and replacing them with more natural rockery. She also played a major role in the last capital campaign that included renovations of Rounds Hall and construction of the new Birdcage crafts center. Through it all, her husband Doug pitched in with maintenance projects on his days off from work as a firefighter-paramedic. During busy summers, the two would carve out time for date nights at picnic dinner.
Jan and Doug remained on Vashon after she retired from Sealth. They continued giving service – and making friends – through organizations like the Rotary and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Jan also volunteered at Camp Sealth, most notably organizing the sewing and replacement of curtains in all of the cabins. She and Doug have also contributed many hours on maintenance projects for the Wrangler unit.
Jan’s commitment to Camp Sealth spanned more than five decades, and she had a unique ability to unite the people and traditions that spanned those years. She appreciated camp’s past as a girls’ camp, its present as a place for all, and envisioned what could be accomplished in the future.
She had a gift for seeing the potential in young people, and for placing them in positions to grow their skills and confidence. Former staff members have numerous stories of how she gently pushed them to do new things and take on leadership roles. She was a mentor and friend to so many who worked with her. Ask alumni who knew Jan, and they’ll tell you that Camp Sealth – and Jan’s guidance – shaped their choices in everything from careers to parenting techniques to how they lead their own groups of people.
Our hearts go out to those who knew Jan, and we are thankful for the gifts she shared. We will grieve her loss deeply and dedicate ourselves to fulfilling her biggest wish of all, that Camp Sealth continues to be a place where young people can go to make memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. Jan lived this, and loved this, and we will miss her forever.
Honor Jan’s Memory
Share Your Favorite “Kanga” Story
Send to Carriek@campfireseattle.org. These will be compiled and shared at a later date.
Give Service to Camp Sealth
Jan championed camp work parties and expressed a wish to see them grow in the coming years. Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 19th and help get camp ready for summer!
Donate to the Jan Milligan Memorial Fund
Doug has established a memorial fund to support maintenance projects at Camp Sealth – another special and lasting way to honor Jan.
Attend the Jan Milligan Celebration Event
A public memorial event for Jan will be held on May 3-4 at Camp Sealth.