October 4, 2004

Janet Kathryn Williams

Janet passed away at her Ashland, Oregon home on Sunday, September 26th, 2004, following a courageous battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her loving husband and children.

Janet was born near Plum City, Wisconsin, to Lawrence "Jack" and Nora Lewis on August 9th, 1939. In 1949, the Lewises moved to Roseburg, Oregon where Janet was 1957 class valedictorian, a tennis team member, and head drum majorette at Roseburg High School. She met her husband Dave in 1960 while both did summer work at Crater Lake National Park. They married on October 20, 1962.

Janet attended the University of Oregon and Scotland's Edinburgh University, earning a BA in History at the former in 1962. She later earned a Master's Degree in School Administration at the University of San Francisco. She began her teaching career at Woodrow Wilson Junior High in Eugene, Oregon, and continued her teaching and administrative work at public and private schools after a 1965 move to Concord, and later Walnut Creek, California.

After moving in retirement to Ashland, Oregon in 1995, Janet served as President of the Tudor Guild (a support group for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival) and the local chapter of the American Association of University Women. She also served as a Director of the Ashland Food Bank. She taught a genealogy class for the Southern Oregon Learning Center in Retirement at Southern Oregon University.

She was active in the First United Methodist Church, the Lithia Ladies Investment Club, bridge groups, and book clubs. She volunteered at Ashland High School, and sang and helped produce shows with a local Sweet Adelines chapter.

Janet gave time and love tirelessly to family, friends and community. She traveled widely with her husband and loved to cook, host parties, and talk about her children and grandchildren.

Janet is survived by her husband David F. Williams of 42 years, mother Nora Lewis, sister Evelyn Carlson, sons John and James Williams, daughter Kathryn Williams, grandsons Jackson, Henry, and Zachary Williams, and granddaughter Jenna Williams.

Janet's memorial service will be held at Ashland's First United Methodist Church on Saturday, October 9, 2004, at 4 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, those who wish to do so may contribute to a perpetual scholarship fund to be established by Janet's family. Checks may be made payable to the Southern Oregon University Foundation, at SOU Foundation Office, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland OR 97520, with a notation on the check "In Memory of Janet K. Williams".