Stan and Jan Berenstain, often called The Berenstains, were American writers and illustrators best known for creating the children's book series The Berenstain Bears. Stanley "Stan" Berenstain was born and raised in a neighborhood of west Philadelphia and died of cancer in Solebury Township, Pennsylvania. Janice "Jan" Berenstain was born in Philadelphia and was raised in west Philadelphia and attended Radnor High School. They met on their first day of class at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art in 1941. During WWII, Stan served as a military medical illustrator while Jan was a draft artist for the Army Corps of Engineers in addition to working in an aircraft factory. She fashioned a pair of wedding rings from spare aluminum collected at the latter job, and the two married on April 17, 1946. Jan died February 24, 2012 after suffering a massive stroke. Her son Mike was at her side. They are survived by their two sons, Mike and Leo. In an interview about the books, the Berenstains said that a big reason behind their inspiration was some of the difficulties parents faced, as well as some childhood tribulations when they were kids themselves.