It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of Jane Catherine Krupiarz Earl, 73, of West Olive, Michigan, on February 15, 2026.
Jane was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in December 2025.
Daughter of Frank and Regina Krupiarz, Jane was born on August 17, 1952, at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, where her dad was stationed in the Navy. Traveling back to the mainland by ship at 6 weeks old with her parents and older brother, Tom, the family resettled in Michigan, eventually making Lansing their home. Jane was the second of seven children and the eldest daughter. She became best buddies with her sister, Patty, who was close in age, always laughing and acting silly together. Jane became a leader and example to follow from that moment on.
She became a second mother to the four siblings that followed, Bob, Jim, and especially to the two youngest, Teresa and Chris.
Her grandparents’ farm in Gaylord was a paradise for her while growing up: the smell of homemade bread, catching frogs in the pond, feeding the pigs, catching garter snakes, picking wildflowers and cattails, rockhounding, running from the cows, playing in the haystacks, riding on the hay wagon, shoveling oats and manure (!), lying in the fields looking up at the clouds that to her looked like mashed potatoes, playing in the huge snowdrifts, tobogganing with a pile of siblings while trying to avoid the barbed wire fence, hearing the snowy mittens sizzle on the wooden stove, and discovering her passion for skiing by learning on old wooden skis. She had endless stories to tell about her love for the farm!
Jane attended Holy Cross School and O’Rafferty High School (class of 1970), where she was a model student and involved in many extracurricular activities, including cheerleading. As a graduate of Michigan State University, she was a fervent Spartan fan. Go Green! Jane was an avid reader her entire life, and a trip to the library was always a highlight. She even inspired her mother to join the library at the age of 90! Both still in their teens, Jane met the love of her life, Greg Earl, through mutual friends. Married in 1972, Jane and Greg were inseparable for the ensuing 53 years, with Jane describing Greg as “her soulmate” and “her everything.” After starting their life together in Michigan State University’s married housing complex, Jane and Greg moved to Brighton, where Jane was indispensable as office manager, while together they built a successful State Farm insurance business.
Upon retiring in 2012, they made their cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan their permanent home, where Jane enjoyed the beautiful sunsets of the lake, often taking to the water to paddleboard, swim, and kayak. In 2009 they replaced their old cottage with a new one that Jane herself designed. She was good at everything! Jane frequently hosted friends and family at their lakeside home, earning the reputation of being a “cool aunt” amongst her many nieces and nephews. Neighborhood gatherings around a campfire were a “must” almost year-round.
During the summer months, Jane’s home served as a recognized Monarch waystation, where she and Greg supported the butterflies’ 3000-mile migration from Canada to Mexico. Jane found peace in the quiet of nature, spending hours immersed in her outdoor garden and tending to her indoor plant family. There was always room for one more plant!
In the winter months, Jane and Greg lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, where they explored the beauty of the West, putting in 100-day seasons of skiing, hundreds of miles of mountain biking, and hiking throughout the area. She was always welcoming to family to share the
“The Greatest Snow on Earth” with her. Jane and Greg extended their skiing experiences far and wide, including New Zealand, Switzerland, and France.
Throughout her life, Jane was a consummate athlete. She started swimming at age 9, traveling to East Lansing to swim with “the college boys” at Spartan Swim Club at Michigan State. Before anyone could blink an eye, all seven Krupiarz kids became competitive swimmers. Thanks, Jane! Again she proved to be a leader. During her years of competitive swimming, she was a member of the Jackson YMCA, Lansing YMCA, Lansing Sea Sprites, and Waverly Swim Club, which to this day is now the Waverly Piranhas, thanks to Jane and a couple of teammates coming up with the name and logo. While in college at Central Michigan University, where she spent her freshman year, Jane was on the swimming team, where she qualified for Nationals in Arizona. She continued her swimming beyond college, competing in multiple master’s swimming and open water events. Jane’s swims took her across the country: from the Big Shoulders Swim in Chicago to the Escape From Alcatraz Swim in San Francisco to the Great Chesapeake Bay Bridge Swim in Maryland, where she made it a family affair, swimming alongside multiple siblings. She was so gutsy and determined to finish every race, no matter how difficult the conditions were (like 49-degree water in Lake Michigan), especially when she knew siblings were also out there with her! Jane gave back to the swimming community as well, teaching swim lessons to hundreds of swimmers at Waverly Schools and coaching with the Waverly Piranhas and the Brighton Eels Swim Team. Included in the local kids that she gave lessons to was her youngest sibling, Chris. Chris did not particularly like putting his face in the water, so he frequently flipped over onto his back.
Seeing that happen, Jane focused attention on his backstroke, and Chris eventually became the high school state champion in backstroke!
In addition to swimming, Jane competed in countless 5-10K road races and completed three marathons, including the Detroit Free Press Marathon. Combining her love for cycling, Jane took part in more than 50 triathlons, finishing as the first overall woman in both the Reeds Lake and Anchor Bay events. In her later years, Jane added mountain biking to her sports resume, competing 12 times in the Bell’s Ice Man Cometh Challenge, including winning her age group.
Another major cycling achievement was climbing the 5,300-foot Mont Ventoux in France at the age of 52, together with Greg. She deserved her wine and cheese that evening!
Adding to Jane’s love of the outdoors was her love of hiking. The trails in the Utah mountains were a playground for her, but also weeks of hiking in France, Greece, and Italy were experiences not to be forgotten. A refreshing skinny dip in a clear blue lagoon in Greece made the rest of the day of hiking in the heat much more bearable!
Jane was one of the best at organizing parties and participating to the fullest! One of the most memorable was the surprise party for her parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. Even as a kid, Jane could be found on the dance floor at weddings of relatives as soon as the polka music started!
For the past several years, Jane applied the same strength and perseverance shown in her athletic endeavors toward multiple illnesses that caused her formidable pain. Despite the intense pain, Jane did not let her illnesses take away from her passion for the outside. With Greg always at her side, she pushed beyond her suffering to continue her love of the outdoors.
Jane used every talent given to her. She was fun, caring, kind, attentive, creative, wise, witty, and athletic, just to name a few! She leaves a legacy that will continue to live in the hearts of her beloved husband, Greg; her six siblings, Tom, Patty, Bob, Jim, Teresa, and Chris; and all who were privileged to have had her in their lives.
In loving memory of Jane, donations may be made to:
The Holland Aquatic Center, 550 Maple Ave, Holland, MI 49423
Velo Kids, PO BOX 1333, Holland, MI, 49422
Any hospice of your choice.
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