Artist at work
Jan considered herself an artist first, writer second. She used this self-portrait (originally published in the Nov./Dec. 2009 issue) as her calling card.
Illustration by Jan A. Igoe | Photo courtesy of Jessica Ford
It all started with the July 2009 issue when South Carolina Living launched a new column called “Humor Me,” and introduced readers to a force of nature named Jan A. Igoe.
She described herself in that first column’s biography as “a wife, mother, newspaper editor, humorist and illustrator” who lived in Horry County, but readers quickly came to know her as a close friend. Her first column — “Just vote me off the island,” available in the digital archives of this website — set the tone for 15 years of laughs and smiles. Her distinctively colorful and whimsical illustrations were instantly recognizable and the perfect companion to her distinctively colorful and whimsical commentary on our crazy world.
Jan was naturally funny. If you ever had the pleasure of speaking with her, you quickly learned that the comedic voice of “Humor Me” — the astute and wry observations, the quick and clever one-liners — were just how Jan thought and talked. Yet she gave careful attention to every word of her columns and the tiniest details of her illustrations, never wanting to let them out into the world until they were perfect. She respected her readers too much to do anything less. And she treasured every email and letter you wrote in response.
Her dedication to readers was so great that even as she was nearing the end of a long battle with cancer, and shortly before entering hospice care, she made a determined point of submitting her May 2024 column, “Laughing all the way to the banksy,” and it is, in my opinion, one of her best.
Jan spent her final days surrounded by family, her closest friends, and her beloved dogs before passing away on May 5, 2024. Per her wishes in the obituary at forevermissed.com/janis-anne-igoe/about, the team at South Carolina Living has donated in her memory to a local animal shelter, and we invite readers to do the same in your community. Jan loved dogs, and her passion for her furry friends was a frequent topic in her columns.
We invite readers to temper the sadness of her passing with a celebration of her gifts by enjoying the archive of “Humor Me” columns at SCLiving.coop/opinion/humor-me. We also invite you to visit SCLiving.coop/Jan to leave a remembrance note that we can share with other readers and Jan’s family.
In loving memory of our friend and colleague JAN A. IGOE, South Carolina Living is reprinting some of her earlier columns. This “Humor Me” originally ran in the Sept. 2009 issue. For more on Jan and her remarkable gifts, visit SCLiving.coop/news/in-memory-of-jan-igoe.