Jantana 'Jana' N. (Niemhom) Proctor

Jantana "Jana" Proctor
December 30, 1954 - April 3, 2023

On April 3, 2023, Mrs. Jantana Proctor departed from this earth. She passed away peacefully due to complications of dementia; with her husband, Jerry; daughter, Nina; and her sister, Wan at her side.

Jana was born in Bangkok, Thailand to father, Jira Niemhom and mother, Nuanpun Srimsombut. She was the fourth of five siblings. Her father was a senior government official in law enforcement for an entire province. Her mother was a daughter of the King of Thailand. Jana was always headstrong and independent, and at the age of 11, she traveled alone across the ocean to be an exchange student in San Francisco. She spent several years in southern California, but eventually made her way to Hawaii where she was a student at UH and supported herself through college. Through a friend she met her future husband, Jerry, who was an Army helicopter pilot stationed at Schofield Barracks. They were both runners and their first date was a half-marathon, after which Jerry took her to Jack in the Box for lunch. Ever gracious, she saw past that unglamorous start and thought he had promise. They went on many subsequent dates, including running two Honolulu marathons together. Jana followed Jerry to Fort Huachuca for MICCC and they married at Kino Chapel on March 20, 1982. From that moment on, Jana became a huge supporter of Soldiers, which prevailed the entirety of her life. They next PCS’d to Fort Hood and had a follow-on tour in South Korea, where they adopted the sparkle of their lives, their six-week-old daughter, Nina. Through 13 PCS moves, Jana was a staunch patriot and supporter of all Soldiers. Over the years, thousands of cookies have been baked to share with Soldiers and their families, especially during the holidays. Additionally, Jana was a talented painter, her interest taking her to the University of Arizona for multiple art classes.

Something of which she was very proud, and her finest example of Soldier support came at the beginning of the Iraq war after 9/11. She learned of the extreme temperatures there and became aware of a portable device called a Misty Mate that can cool the surrounding air by 20-30 degrees. On her own, Jana formed an LLC called Desert to Desert and she drove multiple times to Phoenix to pick up large crates full of Misty Mates. As Soldiers would deploy, she made sure every unit and Soldier from Fort Huachuca left with a Misty Mate. She has hundreds of thank you letters and awards for her efforts, and she eventually sent some 7000 Misty Mates to “cool the troops.” She also frequently sent care packages (including those famous cookies) and words of encouragement – any small effort to make those Soldiers' lives a little better. After her husband retired, she remained active in post activities. She was steadfast as a loving mother to Nina as well as a dependable co-pilot and golf partner to her husband.

Jana is survived by her husband, Jerry; daughter, Nina, son-in-law, Justin, and their boys, Wyatt and Levi of Parker, Colorado; sister and brother-in-law Wanvimol and Fuji Shimizu, niece Yuko and nephew Teru of San Bernardino, California; sisters Pee-Ho and Pee-Tan; brother, Pee-Noi and their families, all of whom remain in Thailand. She was well known for her love for her family, selflessness, quick smile, and endless patriotism. Jana will be deeply missed by all who knew her, and she is certainly with God now. May she find rest in God’s hands.

Friends are invited to celebrate Jana at a Memorial Service to be held on Thursday, 13 April at 10:00 AM at Kino Chapel on Fort Huachuca, followed by a reception at 11:00 AM at the Post Thunder Mountain Activity Center (TMAC).

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