Caldwell Memorial Service Set For Beloved N.J. Doctor Killed In Crash: Obituary

CALDWELL, NJ — Family and friends of a beloved New Jersey breast cancer surgeon who passed away after a pedestrian-car crash this week are planning a weekend memorial gathering and services in her name, according to her obituary.

According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, a vehicle struck mother, wife and physician Dr. Jan Huston-Pryor, 66, of Essex Fells, as she was walking on the 200 block of Devon Road around 9:25 a.m. on Tuesday.

Emergency responders transported Huston-Pryor to HackensackUMC Mountainside Hospital in Montclair and Glen Ridge, where she was pronounced dead at 9:45 a.m.

Huston-Pryor was married and is the mother of 12 children, including several who were adopted from around the country and overseas, NJ.com reported.

She most recently served as medical director of the Breast Health Program at HackensackUMC Mountainside and was the founder and director of Summit Breast Care. Huston-Pryor also headed the Connie Dwyer Breast Center at St. Michael’s Medical Center in Newark from 2007 to 2014.

• See related article: Beloved N.J. Breast Cancer Doctor, Mother Of 12, Dies In Hospital Where She Worked

According to her obituary, services celebrating Huston-Pryor’s life will be held in the First Presbyterian Church at Caldwell, 326 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, with a memorial gathering on Saturday, March 25 from 1 to 5 p.m. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 26 at 3:30 p.m. Arrangements are in care of the Codey & Jones Funeral Home of Caldwell. To share memories and condolences, visit www.codeyjonesfh.com.

Memorial donations can be made to the First Presbyterian Church at Caldwell Memorial Fund, the obituary stated.

The following obituary comes courtesy of Codey & Jones Funeral Home:

“The family and friends of Dr. Jan Huston Pryor join the community to mourn her passing. Jan and her favorite dog Peter-Paul died tragically on March 21, 2017.

"Jan is survived by her loving husband, Jonathan Pryor, whom she described as her rock and calming influence; Amy Kolb, her confidante and nanny; her twelve children: Lupita, Daniela, Andrew, Julia, Aleona, Timothy, Jessica, Elizabeth, Roy, Luke, Hayat, and Maeruf, and her grandchildren: Jade, Lilliana, Landon Jonathan, and Leander. She is also survived by her siblings: Jill Huston Wellman of Pennsylvania, Karen Huston Karydes of Maryland, and John Huston of Texas. Jan was preceded in death by her parents, John and Alice Huston, and her beloved horse, Rocky.

"Jan was born in Decatur, Illinois, raised in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and graduated with a B.S. degree in Nursing from Michigan State University followed by an M.S. degree in Clinical Psychology from Western Michigan University. After practicing as a nurse for several years, she returned to Michigan State for medical school. Following a number of years as a vascular and general surgeon, Jan found her professional calling: to provide diagnosis and surgical treatment of breast disease. In 1999 she founded Summit Breast Care, opening several offices in Northern New Jersey where patients— including the uninsured—received great care. She also served as medical director of the Connie Dwyer Breast Center at St. Michael's Medical Center in Newark, NJ. Most recently, she served as a medical director at Hackensack UMC-Mountainside Hospital, where she was a strong proponent of evidence-based screening and treatment of breast disease. Jan was also the key investigator for a study of the Breathlink test, a promising cancer screening tool utilizing genetic markers in a patient's breath. Jan considered it a privilege to be a doctor, never losing her compassion and respect for all of her patients.

"In addition to Jan's legacy as a skilled physician, she leaves a loving, wild and amazing family. Jan and Jonathan have twelve children, including ten adopted from Texas, Guatemala, Mexico, Russia, China, and Ethiopia. Confident in her deep faith and strong marriage, Jan felt called to adopt a number of older children with traumatic histories, believing they could thrive in a loving Christian family and supportive community. Drawing on her faith helped her overcome obstacles, and she inspired her patients and her children to do the same.

"Services celebrating Jan's life will be held in the First Presbyterian Church at Caldwell, 326 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, NJ 07006 with a memorial gathering on Saturday, March 25 from 1- 5pm. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 26 at 3:30 p.m. Arrangements are in care of the Codey & Jones Funeral Home of Caldwell. To share memories and condolences please visit www.codeyjonesfh.com.

"Memorial donations can be made to the First Presbyterian Church at Caldwell Memorial Fund. The URL for livestreaming is www.livestream.com/FirstPresCaldwell."

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Photo: HackensackUMC Mountainside