Janis Richards

A woman of humor and creativity, Janis Richards, was known as the “Social Director” in her marriage with Vance. She loved to entertain and over her lifetime organized many gatherings and parties for family and friends. As a creative person, her favorite activities were knitting, needle point, cross stitch and decorating at Christmas time. The lucky person was the one who received, as a gift, one of her creations.

She was born Janis Irene Jank, on January 4, 1920 in Buffalo, New York to Jennie and Frank Jank. She started life at the same time the country entered into the roaring twenties. While Janis was the first born, she was followed by four brothers: Paul, Earl, Roy and Frank Jr. She often reflected on how, as a young girl, she spent time with her brother Paul, a rascally guy, who would get her in trouble. Doesn’t that sound like a sister trying to get out of things when she really enjoyed their fun times together?

When she was a young girl her Dad began his career with General Motors. The whole family packed up and moved from New York to Michigan. First living in Detroit, then the family moved to Bay City and in her teenage years to Saginaw, where she graduated from high school. In 1940 she met her future husband, Vance Richards, at a picnic and they were married in June 1941. She and her husband Vance spent 71 wonderful years together before his death in April 2013. They were blessed with two children; a son, Ronald and a daughter, Beverly.

As a young married woman with two children, Janis started to work at T. L. Handy High School, first in the school Cafeteria and later as Secretary for the Dean of Boys and Girls. As a cafeteria staff member, she participated with the other staff in a humorous musical number in the school “Merry-Go-Round”. The cafeteria staff in their kitchen uniforms and using kitchen gadgets performed to the song “Shake, Rattle and Roll”. Enjoying her work, she continued with the school system until her retirement in 1985.

An active person, Janis’s interests were varied. From bowling to card playing to needle work, she enjoyed socializing with family and friends around her favorite activities. One year, her bowling team had such a hot season, they decided to enter the local bowling tournament. While the team did not win, Janis went on to win a trophy for high game score. She and her husband learned to play Bridge and over the years they belonged to many card clubs. She was able to mix her love of entertaining with card playing; when it was her turn to host the card club, she always provided delicious desserts.

For many years Janis and her husband hosted, in their home, a Christmas family breakfast. Christmas was her favorite time of year and she loved to decorate the house with Christmas items. Many of the items were created with her own hands; wreaths, Santa needle points, angel cross-stitching and more. It was a delight each year to see what new decorations she would display.

After Janis and her husband retired they decided to move to Sun City West, Arizona. They made many new friends and enjoyed many of the activities available in their new retirement community. They joined the Bocce Club and were a part of a husband-wife Bocce team, became members of the Michigan Club and of course joined many card clubs. Janis spent many of her retirement years enjoying one of her favorite hobbies, creating needle work pictures and pillows. Over the years she completed more than 75 works of art. Many of her pieces hung throughout their home in Arizona.

For 24 years Janis and her husband enjoyed the warm weather in Arizona but, due to health issues, in 2010 they moved back to Michigan to live with their daughter and son-in-law in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In 2011 at a large gathering of family and friends, Janis and her husband celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. She shared with her daughter; “He’s the only man I ever loved.”

Janis retained her sense of humor throughout her life and in her later years she often entertained her family and health care providers with humorous comments.

Janis Richards, 95, passed away on February 25, 2015. Janis was preceded in death by her husband of 71 years, Vance C. Richards and her son, Ronald C. Richards. Her surviving family includes: daughter Beverly Solik and her husband Frank; daughter-in-law, Plearnpit Richards; one brother, Frank Jank; her grandchildren; Curt Winter, and his wife Therese, Melanee Oegema and her husband Jim, Lena Crider and her husband Adam: Jay Richards and his wife Rachael; Scott Solik; Grant Solik; 6 great-grandchildren; 1 step great-grandson and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service is planned on March 21, 2015 for family and friends at Life Story Funeral Homes, Portage, MI. Memorial gifts, in Janis’s name, may be donated to the Adult Day Services at Oakland Centre in Portage, Michigan www.oaklandcentre.org or to Hospice of Southwest Michigan www.hospiceswmi.org/donations.