Dirk Wolfgang Janz

Dirk Wolfgang Janz was born on September 21, 1956 in Uranium City, Canada to two loving parents, Heinz and Seiglinde Janz. At age five he immigrated with his parents and sister, Christine, to Pomona, California. Dirk attended Pomona High School and graduated in 1974. As a teenager, Dirk traveled to Europe where he gained a broader understanding of the world. He once told his family that his travels shaped his perspective on life. Dirk obtained his Bachelor's of Science degree in Microbiology from California Polytechnic University, Pomona in 1979. After college, Dirk joined the Peace Corps and was stationed in Thailand where he met his future wife Sirigun. The two met while they worked at a small clinic in Nang Rong located in Thailand's Buriram Province. Their hospital supervisor, Doctor Samran, introduced them in 1981. At first, the two were unable to communicate so they used a Thai-English dictionary to translate their words. Dirk and Sirigun were married in a traditional Thai ceremony on May 11, 1982. They have been married 30 years and have been inseparable ever since. Dirk and Sirigun moved to Southern California in 1983 where they had two sons; Andrew and Thomas. When his children were young, he taught them the importance of education and reading. His influence on them is apparent in that they both now have successful careers in insurance and law. Dirk's love of soccer inspired both Andrew and Thomas to play at a very young age. Thomas went on to play soccer in college and still plays recreationally today. Having earned a degree in microbiology, combined with his experience in healthcare, Dirk began his career in food safety at Arrowhead Drinking Water in 1985. During his career, Dirk worked for a number of companies including Kraft Foods and General Mills. His work allowed him to travel the country. He worked all over the nation, which included New York, California, Minnesota, Illinois, and Idaho. Most recently, Dirk was the Quality and Regulatory Operations manager at Yoplait, a division of its parent company General Mills. While there, he was accountable for all quality control and sanitation functions at Yoplait's second largest manufacturing facility. He managed a team of 13 quality professionals to ensure plant compliance with all regulatory food safety requirements. Under Dirk's supervision his team consistently achieved the lowest consumer complaint rates in the Yoplait division. He also partnered with the State of California to successfully establish and maintain extended production runs at 12 production lines. Throughout his career, Dirk was recognized for his commitment to excellence and outstanding performance. He was awarded three Chairman's Awards for outstanding performance while he was at General Mills. In 2001, he was featured on a Wheaties Cereal box for his outstanding leadership at Yoplait-Columbo. Friends and coworkers have said Dirk was an amazing boss, mentor, and friend. He was genuine, caring, trustworthy and extremely hard working. His door was always open; he was always willing to listen. During his free time Dirk loved to watch soccer and was an ardent supporter of Arsenal Football Club in North London. Dirk also loved to travel and took his beloved wife Sirigun to places such as, Southeast Asia, Mexico and Europe. He also enjoyed reading, especially history. Dirk Janz was a man loved by all those who knew him. He was selfless and a devoted husband and father. He is survived by his mother, father, sister, wife and two sons.