Janice Darlene Glenn, loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, died at her home in Wellington, Colorado on Thursday July 15th surrounded by family. She was 80 years old.
Janice was born on June 18th, 1941 in her family’s farmhouse in Eckley, Colorado to Fern and Delbert Gilliland. The oldest of five children, Janice grew up in Eckley and Yuma Colorado. Raised on a farm with no electricity or running water, Janice learned at a young age how to be resourceful and resilient. As a young lady she developed a love of sewing, fixing, and creating and was known to make a dress for herself to wear to a dance later that same night.
After living in a few different places, Janice settled in Wellington, Colorado where she raised her five children Larry, Bruce, Lori, Elizabeth, and Lisa on her own. Janice was an amazing mother to her children and an even more amazing grandma to her 10 grandchildren. Janice was also a surrogate grandma to lots of other kids over the years. Everyone was always welcome at her house. She was the rock of her family.
Janice started working at Eyestone Elementary in the early 1980’s where she was a paraprofessional in the library for 27 years. She also worked at BASE Camp at Eyestone for many years. Janice loved working at Eyestone and met many lifelong friends and impacted the lives of countless students there. Her love of teaching was passed on to three of her children who went on to be teachers. She even worked alongside her daughter Lori at Eyestone for a few years.
Janice was one of the most talented seamstresses on the planet. She did everything from upholstery work like covering couches and car seats to bridesmaids and wedding dresses, Halloween costumes, curtains, blankets, clothes, mending, crafts, doll clothes, and the list goes on and on. She even made over 3,000 masks during the pandemic. She also kept her hands busy knitting hats that were given to hundreds of elementary students over the years as well as others. She enjoyed having a booth at the Eyestone Craft Fair every year where she would sell doll clothes, potholders and other crafts. Janice has been the eager fix-it/sewing lady for hundreds of people throughout her lifetime. Her sewing room was her happy place, and she spent every free moment there creating.
Janice also enjoyed her family and friends and big gatherings in her backyard. Most recently she enjoyed celebrating her 80th birthday and 4th of July with friends and family.
Janice loved playing bingo at Soul Squared on Tuesdays and going to Blackhawk with her friend Gloria. As a retiree Janice spent her days taking care of her granddaughters who kept her on her toes. She enjoyed volunteering at the Food Bank in Wellington.
Janice found out on June 27th that she had cancer and on July 1st learned it was Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. As with everything in her life, Janice took her diagnosis in stride. She remained the strong, non-judgmental, easy-going, supportive, loving, matriarch of her family, spending her last weeks doing what she loved.
She is preceded in death by her mom (Fern), and dad (Delbert), brother (Bob), daughter (Lori), and grandson (Zach).
She is survived by her brothers, (Dean and Kenny), sister (Joyce), her children (Larry, Bruce, Elizabeth, Lisa), and her grandchildren (Kali, Josh, Cooper, Ryan, Zoe, Kaelee, Lorin, Kyran, and Mica) and lots of other family and friends.
To honor Janice there will be a memorial on Sunday, August 1, at 3 p.m. at The Covey, 2661 West County Road 64, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524. Please wear your Crocs and the color red, two of Janice’s favorite things.
Donations can be made in Janice’s memory to 3Hopeful Hearts at 3hopefulhearts.com or to the Wellington Food Bank at P.O. Box 417 Wellington, CO 80549.
2021-07-29