Obituary of Janice C. Owen

Janice C. Owen of Nashville, TN, age 84, died on Wednesday, October 17, 2018. She was born in Horse Branch, KY to the late AG and Dorothy Crume. Janice moved all around Kentucky and Indiana growing up and graduated from Livermore High School where her father was the principal. She said she could never get away with anything. She was the oldest of four sisters whom she loved dearly. She offered support and guidance to her sisters throughout her life and became a beloved aunt and great-aunt. Her sisters raved about her amazing memory and could always count on her to answer questions and keep the family close. In her high school yearbook section of what she wanted to be when she grew up, she said an Owen. A short nine years later, she married Ted and accomplished that goal. Janice worked at GE to earn money for college and graduated from Western Kentucky University. After getting married, Janice and Ted moved to Nashville where she taught elementary school in the Nashville Public School System. Janice was a devoted wife and a wonderful, caring mother. She sat through countless ball games and activities to support her children, Ann Taylor and Jay. She was legendary for sewing a skirt to match her son Jay’s team colors. She always made sure Jay remembered to take his homework to school and tried her best to make sure Ann Taylor actually did her homework. Rather than sulk when she became an empty-nester, she parlayed her love of dolls to become one of the founders and charter members of the Grand Ole Doll Club in Nashville, TN. She was a passionate doll collector and so loved creating doll scenes and organizing conventions. When she moved to Florida, she became a member of the Space Coast Doll Club. She also managed to develop an amazing Santa Clause collection. She was a selfless, dedicated friend who prioritized her friends’ needs over her own. She kept her old friends close while still managing to develop new, very strong friendships into her ‘80s. Her daughter-in-law, Teresa, says that she so respected how much Janice cherished her girlfriends. She was always up for adventure. Her sister Ann said anytime a car door opened she would jump in! When her children were in college, Janice would go to Western Kentucky games throughout the south and make Jay’s games in Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, and Maryland. Later, with one child in Florida and one in Alaska, Janice traversed many a mile to remain an active and loving participant in her kids’ lives. She also would willingly ride with friends from Seattle to Nashville or even go to garden spots like Minot, North Dakota. She had a strong faith in Jesus Christ and taught preschoolers in Sunday School for many years at Judson Baptist Church. She also served in various ways from VBS to tutoring children at Harpeth Heights Baptist Church. While a member of Woodmont Baptist Church, she assisted in stocking the food pantry. Upon of her move to Florida, she became a member of the willing workers Sunday school class at First Baptist Church, Cocoa. One of her favorite ways to serve was the yearly Toy Store run by the Nashville Baptist Association where Janice would assist a parent in picking out a toy for their child’s Christmas. Janice loved the Kentucky Wildcat basketball team and the Tennessee Titans Football team. Golic and Wingo, Dan Patrick, and Paul Finebaum have lost a daily listener. She absolutely loved watching and talking about sports with her kids and anyone else she could find. It was often said she knew more about sports than any octogenarian anyone knew. Janice was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years Ted T. Owen. She is survived by her daughter Rev. Ann Taylor Owen; son and daughter-in-law, Lt Col (ret) Jay Owen and Teresa Blume; sisters Ann (John) Werner, Jane (Richard) Royster, and Dr. Judi Crume; several nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. Services will be November 3, 2018 at 11am at Woodmont Baptist Church, Nashville. Interment will be November 2, 2018 at 2:00 pm at the Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery. Donations in her memory should be considered to Woodmont Baptist Church for the Toy Store–an annual activity that provides children a Christmas toy.