Janet Carol Hansen was born in Seattle, Washington to Roy and Dolores Roberts on March 28th, 1945. She was raised in Bothell, Washington along with her older brother Neil, and younger sister Jill.
Janet was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on May 21st, 1960. It was through the organization that she met John in 1965 at the Normanna Hall in Everett, Washington. They married on June 17th, 1967. Janet and John built a home on the property next door to Roy and Dolores. Janet often joked that she only moved once, right next door, and that is where she lived for 47 and a half years.
Janet and John welcomed a daughter, Adrienne, after 14 years of marriage. They were both so proud and happy to have a baby girl that John went out that day and bought Adrienne a pair of diamond earrings, which she still wears to this day. Janet took real pride in raising her only daughter and they did everything together. Ballet classes, piano lessons, shopping…. She taught her everything she knew.
Those that knew Janet, knew her for her positive attitude, her friendliness, her smile, and certainly her laughter. She loved to entertain at their home, often with big elaborate dinners, complete with fancy table settings. She enjoyed cooking and was wonderful at it. Janet may have been the only person who could prepare the famous Canlis salad, better than the restaurant itself!
Janet also enjoyed gardening and working in their beautiful yard with John. She loved traveling and went to Tahiti, traveled Hawaii, Mexico and quite a bit of the United States. Janet particularly enjoyed the yearly family trip to Montana to visit the Rasmussen family. She also loved visiting John’s family on Lopez Island in the San Juan Islands a few times a year.
Janet had an intense love for her animals. She was rarely seen without her little dog or Persian cats, and especially enjoyed her parrot, Cabo. She was known to feed the deer in their yard, and squirrels too.
Janet left quite a mark on those that knew her, and even on many who never got the chance to. She spent the last two years fighting for her life. She amazed doctors who didn’t give much hope. She endured pain that most people could not comprehend. Her incredible strength and positivity in the face of extreme adversity was truly remarkable and inspiring to so many, including her doctors and nurses. She was often surrounded by her core “Team”, John, Adrienne, Jill and her brother in law, John, as well as “Team Janet” which consisted of hundreds of people, many of which had never met her, yet were inspired and encouraged by her story.
John and Janet took their vows very seriously, they were together for 50 years. Through sickness and health, they spent her last days close together. Their love is nothing short of inspirational.
Janet passed away on October 31st, 2014, with her husband by her side, but she took great comfort in the scriptures, especially the words written at Revelation 21:3,4. “With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.
Memorial services for Janet will be held on Saturday, November 15th, 2014 at 1:00pm at The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 24013 23rd Avenue SE Bothell, Washington 98021. All are welcome.