Janice Gretta Cowell

Janice Gretta Cowell February 16, 1924 – December 16, 2009 Our wonderful mother, grandmother and great grandmother passed away peacefully on December 16, 2009. Born on February 16, 1924 in San Fernando, Janice lived her entire life in the Southern California area, close to the family she loved. Ralph and Gretta Lehman raised Janice and her sister Muriel in the wide, open spaces and endless citrus groves of the yet-to-be developed San Fernando Valley. In 1941 she met and married her lifetime companion, William “Bill” Cowell. Jan and Bill raised three children - sons Dan and Lee, and daughter Nancy (Cowell) Hullihan. Janice was passionate about her family and loved nothing more than to be around them. She will be missed by Dan’s family, including his wife Linda and their daughters Deanne Fuqua (son-in-law Justin), and Anna Heywood, married to Steve. Anna and Steve’s daughters, Emma and Abby will miss their great grandmother, as will Nancy’s daughter Joslyn, niece Annie, and nephews John and Brad. Janice was born to be a mom. We remember her helping out at cub scouts, school fundraisers and events, neighborhood activities, organized sports, and summertime fun. Times were tight when we were growing up, but we did not grasp that until we were adults. Mom always made sure that the family was well taken care of and that home life ran smoothly. Summers were to be enjoyed with outdoor barbeques; every Halloween was a full event with elaborate costumes for the kids that mom made by hand; and Christmas always included a live tree with piles of presents. For many years Jan filled in her time as an “Avon Lady” which kept her busy, offered her a nice opportunity to interact with neighbors and friends, and helped her afford a few extras for her family. She and Bill lived their golden years together to the fullest. Along with spending a great deal of time fishing and relaxing at their second home on the beach in Mexico, they traveled around the world, seeing the sights and exploring the cultures. They traveled together and often included the entire extended family on their trips. We have wonderful memories of family time together in Hawaii, Central America, and the Caribbean. Janice lost Bill in 1998, but mom continued to be mom. Always interested in what her family was up to, she enjoyed nothing more than to sit quietly at family gatherings and listen as they shared their life situations. She stayed in touch with lifelong friends while she could with handwritten cards and letters, and enjoyed reading books and the newspaper every day. “Most of all the other beautiful things in life come by twos and threes, by dozens and hundreds. Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins, comrades and friends - but only one mother in the whole world.” ~Kate Douglas Wiggin