Janet Elway, the matriarch of the Elway family and mother of Hall of Fame quarterback and Broncos general manager John Elway, died after a battle with pancreatic cancer, the team announced Tuesday. She was 82.
Former Stanford and San Jose State head coach Jack Elway, Janet’s husband, preceded her in death in 2001. She was a constant presence in the stands while her husband was coaching at San Jose State (1979-83) and Stanford (1984-89).
“Jan was the rock of our family,” the Elway family said in a statement after her death on March 4. “She began the legacy of Elways being tough, strong and enduringly hard-working.”
John Elway had made multiple trips, including leaving the NFL Combine early, to visit his mother in the past three months as she battled cancer, the team said.
His mom was John’s biggest cheerleader throughout his career that began at Stanford and continued in Denver with the Broncos.
“Jan loved her kids, grandkids and great grandkids,” the family said. “She shined watching (John) shine on the football field. She was his proudest fan, every step of the way. She was her (daughters’) partner in crime and encouraged them to be go-getters just like the boys.”
After Jack Elway passed away, Janet moved to Palm Desert, where she later met her partner, Richard Terrell.The family said a “Celebration of Life” ceremony is pending.
Denver Post contributed to this report.