Janet Grace Greenhoe

Janet was born Aug. 26, 1938 in Whittemore, MI the daughter of Elton and Denulga (Lail) Smith. While attending Standish High School she played basketball and held the school scoring record at the time. She graduated from Standish High School in 1956 and went on to major in Business Administration with a minor in Physical Education at Michigan State University. While in college, she spent one summer bicycling across Europe. She graduated in 1961. Later she received Masters' degrees in Business from both Western Michigan University and Nazareth College. She began her professional career at Hopkins High School. She continued her teaching at Algonac Public Schools, Constantine Public Schools, and was an original faculty member of Glen Oaks Community College. While at Glen Oaks, she was the first cheerleading coach, newspaper adviser, and coached the Women's Basketball Team. She was one of the founding sponsors' of Phi Theta Kappa. She also served in the Administration as the Registrar and then returned to the classroom as a Business Professor until her retirement in 1993. Although her love of basket making began before her retirement, it became a second career. She started her own business known as Baskets Plain and Fancy. She sponsored students for the St. Joseph/La Grange 4 H. She shared her talent through giving her baskets as gifts, trading her baskets, but most of all through teaching others the craft. She made many treasured friends, especially "the gulls". Her greatest joy was her family. As a child, her family included an older sister, Janel and a younger brother Dennis. The family resided in Standish, Michigan. Janet loved the outdoors and spent a great deal of time hunting and trapping with her father who affectionately called her "Butch". On December 7, 1961, the anniversary of Pearl Harbor day, David Greenhoe, the history teacher, asked Janet to marry him. "A significant day in history; one disaster deserves another, will you marry me." Then August 4, 1962, she did! The couple's first child, Barbara Marie, was born October 25, 1964. The second child Jennifer Elizabeth followed on September 28, 1970. Now there are 4 grandchildren. Barb and Randy Vader have Ashley. Jennifer (Rob Nichols) has Alexandria, Chandler, and Robert aka Scooter. Following a long battle with cancer, Janet passed away March 26, 2011 at Rose Arbor Hospice. At her request, cremation has taken place. There will be a visitation with the family at the United Methodist Church of Schoolcraft on Tuesday, March 29, from 7:00-9:00 pm. A memorial service will be held at the church on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions may be made to Glen Oaks Community College Foundation, Rose Arbor Hospice, or West Michigan Cancer Center.