Janet Eileen Glazer

Janet Eileen Glazer, 79, of Indianapolis, died peacefully, surrounded by her immediate family, on Saturday, January 17th, 2026.

Jan was born on October 21, 1946, in Columbus, Indiana to Kenneth Paul Hendricks and Sheila McDonnell Hendricks.

She graduated from Columbus North High School, having enjoyed both the academic and the social life – especially her time as a cheerleader. After high school, Jan attended Herron School of Art and Indiana Business College while working a particularly wide array of jobs to support herself through school. Her most influential early positions were as an antiques dealer for Balamar, Inc., where she developed her passion for antiquing and interior design, as a real estate agent, which catalyzed her love of house-hunting, and as a manager at the Indianapolis institution, Sam’s Attic, where she honed her skills in hospitality and where she met her husband.

Jan married Barry Glazer in 1971 and, after an extended two-year honeymoon during his army service near Washington, D.C., they returned to Indiana and settled briefly in Vincennes, where their daughter Ann was born, and where she began her book collection in earnest. Jan had a lifelong love of learning and collected thousands of books in her primary areas of interest – entertaining, etiquette, and social histories, among others; every one of her homes had an extensive library.

Jan and her family returned to Indianapolis in 1980. A dedicated early childhood education advocate, she devoted herself to a variety of local educational organizations. She volunteered thousands of hours at the Indianapolis Hebrew Academy, at Butler University’s lab preschool, and especially at Sycamore School, which she and Barry helped to co-found with like-minded parents in the mid-1980s. In the early years of the school, in line with her strong commitment to experiential education, Jan chaperoned nearly every class field trip, and, drawing on her expertise, she became the designated school party planner, developing and implementing creative themed parties to celebrate dozens of occasions and events at the school.

Among all of her roles (including that of a national award-winning event planner), none brought as much pride to her as those of daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend, and to these, she dedicated the remainder of her life.

Jan is survived by her devoted husband and daughter, her two sisters-in-law, her nephews and niece, as well as many dear cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents and her two beloved brothers, Brian and Kevin Hendricks.

Graveside services will be held Monday, January 19, 2026 at noon at Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation Cemetery North. Shiva information to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations in Jan’s memory to the school she most valued – Sycamore School, her much-loved PBS station – WFYI, or her recent charitable interest – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.