GANZ, Doris Jean (Frohoff) 1928-2009 Doris Ganz, 81, passed away November 15 in the company of her family after a long illness. Doris Jean Frohoff was born August 28, 1928 in Kansas City, MO. Her early childhood was marked by the difficulties of surviving the Great Depression. She went on to become a top student and accomplished pianist, often the center of parties and gatherings as she entertained guests. She graduated summa cum laude in English literature from St. Theresa Avila College in Kansas City in 1950. She married Richard (Dick) Ganz the same year and they moved to Omaha, NE where Dick attended Creighton University Medical School. Children soon followed in rapid succession, and she spent the rest of the decade bearing three boys and three girls, changing (and washing) countless diapers, preparing meals and supporting her husband through medical school, residency and then a move to Spokane, where he set up his family practice. Most of Doris' adult life was devoted to the formation of her children, inspiring them to a love of learning, a strong faith in God, and a sense of accountability and service to the community. She also showed them how to love. She became a surrogate mother to several young men and women, primarily young Jesuits in formation and Gonzaga University students. While much of her public and community activities were in support of Dick's career, she found time to pursue - and lead - other organizations such as the Spokane Club Women's Board, the Greater Gonzaga University Guild, the Spokane Garden Club, and the Poor Clare Annual Tea. She was active at St. Augustine and St. Aloysius parishes, most recently as a reader and Eucharistic minister. She and Dick were also active in planning and leading retreats at Immaculate Heart Retreat Center. Perhaps her most significant contribution to the community, however, was her personal and quiet outreach to many people in financial need whom she encountered during her life. Following Dick's death in 2004, her health declined, yet the spirituality, faith and devotion to Mary the Mother of God that permeated her life and work only grew and served as an inspiration to her family, friends and caregivers. In the end, she greeted her passing with anticipation and serenity. We will miss her music, her dancing, her intellect, her exceptional listening skills and her keen sense of humor that was full of wit but never cruel. She relished conversations about philosophy, theology and politics, often with a glass of wine in hand around the dinner table at home and at the family's beloved cabin at Priest Lake. She was the soul and center of our family and the glue that kept us together through the years. She leaves a void that will never be filled until we are all seated around her table again in heaven. She is survived by her brother, Frank (Carol) of Portland, her daughters, Carol Ganz Klobucher (Rich) of Bellevue, Cathryn Jean Hagelin (Bill) of Seattle and Ann Elizabeth (Betsy) Ganz of Spokane; her sons, Rev. Richard Hartley Ganz, S.J. of Portland, William F. Ganz, M.D. (Luann) of Coeur d'Alene, and Mark B. Ganz (Leslie) of Portland, her very special and beloved grandson, Jonathan French of Portland whom she helped raise, 15 other grandchildren and one great grandson. We would like to thank her caregivers from Comfort Keepers, especially Brenda, Suzanne, Fatima, and Pam for their constant, loving care of our mother. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in memory of Doris to the Sisters of the Monastery of St. Clare, 4419 N. Hawthorne, Spokane WA 99205 or the Immaculate Heart Retreat Center, 6910 S. Ben Burr Rd. Spokane WA 99223. A Vigil Service will be held at the Three Companions Chapel at Gonzaga Prep, 1224 E. Euclid on Thursday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Aloysius Church, 330 E. Boone Ave. on Friday, November 20 at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be private. Please sign Doris's online guestbook at www.hennesseyfuneralhomes.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Published in Spokesman-Review from November 18 to November 19, 2009