Janice Major

Janice Major, age 93, passed away peacefully at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo on Dec. 1. She was born December 31, 1930 in Detroit, MI, as Janice Doll. She attended Thomas M. Cooley High School in that city, serving on the student government and becoming a member of the National Honor Society of Secondary Schools. She graduated from there in 1949, with Cum Laude honors.

She attended Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI, where she was a member of the Alpha Sigma Tau sorority. In 1953, she graduated from EMU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

In 1953, Janice married Frank Heger in Ann Arbor, MI, becoming Janice Heger. Their daughter, Shelley, was born in 1955 while the family lived in Lincoln Park, MI. Their son, Kyle, was born in 1959 when they lived in Plymouth, MI.

In 1966, while living in Kalamazoo, Janice earned a Master's Degree in Library Science from Western Michigan University. From that year through 1994, she worked as a media specialist in public-school libraries in Portage, MI, including Pershing Elementary, Lake Center Elementary and Woodland Elementary.

Janice and her family moved to Vicksburg, MI, in 1968, then to Portage, MI, in 1971, where she lived for the rest of her life.

She married Ed Major in Kalamazoo, MI in 1977. Their honeymoon cruise ship tour of the Caribbean was the first of many trips they took together, including visits to Europe, Mexico, Canada and many parts of the U.S.

Upon retiring, Janice became active with the Portage Senior Center, participating in its Readers' Theater program and directing the program for a time. She also attended classes through the center and took center-sponsored trips.

Janice maintained an active social and intellectual life. In 2016, she published a book titled, "Of Cats and Kittens: A Book of Limericks."

Janice is survived by her daughter and her daughter's husband, Ron Simcox, her son and her son's wife, Emily Mai, and her stepdaughter, Linda Williams, and her stepdaughter's husband, Steve Williams, as well as by grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

At Janice's request, no funeral or memorial service will be held. Her family would appreciate contributions made in her name to The American Library Association and the Friends of the Portage Senior Center.