The Flagstaff community and its only daily newspaper lost a longtime friend and colleague this year when Jan Stevens died February 21 at the age of 46 -- just hours after filing her final column. Stevens had spent two decades working for the Arizona Daily Sun as a reporter, columnist and editor when she lost a six-year battle with cancer.

Her co-workers admired her ability to tap sources in areas ranging from art to animal rights to science - all while keeping family her top priority.

"Jan always seemed to move peacefully and she wrote volumes,'' Daily Sun reporter and columnist Mary Tolan said.

Tolan said Stevens wrote primariy upbeat stories - but stories that made a difference. And she was firm in her commitment to the Flagstaff community, her colleagues said.

"In the news biz, kudos go to the reporter who beats out another for a story, who will stop at nothing to get the byline, who moves from one paper to the next bigger paper, hardly recalling the last town he was in while making his career-ladder step,'' Tolan said.

"Those without cynicism are eyed with curiosity at best. That's what made Jan Stevens a gem, and for me an influential colleague.''

As features editor for the Daily Sun, Stevens won many awards, including several Arizona Newspaper Association and Associated Press honors.

Stevens, as Jan Romero Stevens, was also the author of the bilingual "Carlos" children's books. "Carlos and the Squash Plant" was published by Northland Publishing in 1993, and since then she's had four other Carlos books published, as well as "Twelve Lizards Leaping: A New 12 Days of Christmas," published last fall. Northland had just signed a contract with Stevens for her sixth Carlos book to be called "Carlos Digs to China." It will be available in late 2001.

"Her family meant everything to her, as did her faith, with writing close behind. I was impressed by her inner calm, Tolan said. Arizona Daily Sun managing editor Randy Wilson called Stevens, "the quintessential community journalist.''

"She knew everyone and cared about them all. People trusted Jan to get their story right and tell it in a way that was eloquent and fair,'' Wilson said.

''Her intellectual curiosity extended to nearly every facet of community life. Not only the Daily Sun but the community of Flagstaff will miss her uncommon talents.'' Stevens is survived by her husband of nearly 26 years, Fred M. Stevens, and two sons.