Our beloved mother Janice Lead passed away at the age of 75 after a long and courageous battle with Lewy Body Dementia.
Janice was born in Alameda, California to Norris and Nell Greenwood. She had seven brothers and sisters; Norris Jr., Harold, Larry, Bobby, Mary, Gloria and Doris.
Janice excelled academically and was always a teacher, teaching her siblings to read long before she obtained her teaching degree. She graduated from Abraham Lincoln Senior High School with honors in 1964. She attended San Diego State University where she received her Bachelor of Education. Janice married John Lead in Raymond, Washington. Janice had four children from two previous relationships: Cynthia, Daisy, omm’A and Maori. John had one child, Angie. Janice and John welcomed their daughter Jewel in 1983. Our mother loved our father with her whole heart. They loved to travel together and were inseparable until his unexpected death in 2019.
Janice was a beloved teacher who positively impacted countless students’ lives. Her love of teaching continued throughout her life. She taught in different districts including Seattle, Raymond and Aberdeen, where she retired from. Janice’s love of reading was shared with her students and family. She continued to teach throughout her life even after she retired. She was a lifelong teacher, whether teaching academics to her students or life lessons to her family and friends.
Janice loved reading, crossword puzzles, playing Scrabble and watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. As the symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia progressed and made reading and participating in activities she loved increasingly difficult, our mother worked to keep her positive attitude and with help from others, focused on the things she was still able to do. Our mother always did her best to look on the bright side and held strong to her faith.
Our mother will be forever missed and her legacy will live on through her family and the many students she taught and cared for. Before her memory loss, she prided herself in remembering her former students’ names. She loved when she would see former students and have a chance to reconnect with them. To our mother teaching was much more than a job, it was her life’s work. She put her heart into everything she did and was an exemplary teacher who always went above and beyond for her students.
In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Lewy Body Dementia Association and visiting a care center to show those who may feel forgotten that someone cares. Our mother and father always showed kindness to those who were less fortunate including helping family and strangers alike.
