Janie Dee Kearns

On Easter Sunday Janie Dee Kearns our sweet sister, cousin, niece, aunt and special friend to so many began her way home to be with her loving Heavenly Father she left this earth on Monday April 6, 2026 she was 68, surrounded by her 2 loyal brothers (her loving sister had just left a few days earlier to go back to Utah) and dearest loving friends at her home in Ocala, Florida. She fought a 2 year battle with Breast Cancer. Without support from her loving family living in Utah and the sweet family in Ocala Florida that in essence adopted her the Biancullis, Glenns and many gracious friends and kind parishners of her Church and Father Patrick J. O'Doherty Pastor at Queen Of Peace Catholic Church. Her kind doctor Dr Daniel Patterson at The Bethel Cancer Center. The loving, kind and compassionate Nurses Laura, Stephanie and Staff Alexa, Lucia and Melissa and her other doctors and their staff and the hospice nurses she would not have been able to fight as hard as she did, they are all special human beings.
This is her obituary it is also a tribute to Janie's life and to those who loved her and helped her grow along the way. And the many people who gave her tender mercies from the yard maintenance man Allan and to her boss, Eddy at her last job at the Karate school in Ocala, to people we may never know. We wanted to share her story with all her friends and family and anyone who chooses to read her story.
Janie was born December 9, 1957 Salt Lake City, Utah to Dee Wright of then Granger, Utah Judy Larson of Delta, Utah. Dee was a professional truck driver a job he was good at and enjoyed. Judy was an accomplished cook which she shared with her family and catered many events in Utah and Ocala. Janie grew up in the Salt Lake area. Attended several different elementary schools and junior high and attended High School. Janie was a great asset to her family she took on the responsibility of taking care of her 2 brothers (she was devoted to their care until her passing) and her sister (who even though living far away from each other were close). She loved them all. Eventually she was about 18 yars old left home, she went through many struggles in her life. She married Mike Kearns, they divorced eventually, but during their marriage she had a son Casey, she adored and loved so dearly he was her life .
When she was little she spent much time at Grandma Wrights it was a place to play with cousins and have wonderful imaginary times under the great lilac tree, or up at Grandmas little 2 room cabin in Brighton Canyon in the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. Catching tadpoles while hiking around Silver Lake learning about all the wild flowers from Grandma was an elementary school teacher. It was a magical time in her life and her cousins lives. She loved and enjoyed spending time with her Uncle Lynn and Aunt Diane and her cousins. She remained close too even when they were miles apart.
As she became an adult she ended up working in the Mortgage Industry, she was very good at it. Janie lived in various places in Salt Lake City, she lived in Las Vegas for a time, St. George and Sandy Utah, she moved to Ocala, Florida and worked in the Mortgage field with her mother who owned the company she worked for.
At that time Janie was struggling with her childhood spiritual and religious belief in the faith she was raised in, Janie had a good background in Christ from what she was taught and loved the people who taught her. But as an adult it did not seem to give her the comfort she desperately was looking for. She came in contact with a whole new way of believing and was reborn you might say, she met Father Patrick J. O'Doherty, Pastor at Queen of Peace Catholic Church she began to feel the peace she was looking for and eventually was baptized. It was there she met her dear friend Mary. Her life changed forever she found peace in her soul and had a purpose a cohesive life she never had before. She found joy for the first time in many years.
She then took time to have fun discovering her many skills from learning new crafts to decorating and staging Model homes. Janie loved to cook a skill she gained from her mother. She became a Sacristan at her church and was very involved in Pro life Ministries at the Alfa Center Women's pregnancy center in Ocala, encouraging women during pregnancy with compassion and education. While donating her time there she met another dear friend Diane another person in her life who she loved dearly. She was thriving in her life. She always attracted and kept dear friends. She wasn't afraid of telling others her truths, a person knew where they stood on any subject . She loved many pets over the years and they loved her. Beast, Booty, Gypsie her dogs and her kitties one in particular Beans was a sweater stealer you had to hide your sweater or he would abscond with it.
Sadly In 2015 Tragedy struck her heart and soul her son Casey passed away she was devasted and never really got over his passing. However all her many friends were there for her which helped her bear the pain of Casey's loss.
It is hard to tell a story of a life in a few paragraphs. In the end of her story here. Janie had a very fulfilled life from the love of her sister Chris and Kevin and Brian her devoted brothers. Many friends and dear relatives. The love and compassion from the Biancullis and Glenns was a precious gift one of true love and friendship. She was able to feel what being part of a big family a big l loving family. The charity and love they showed was unmatching to anything she had ever experienced. She really had 2 families the one she grew up in as a child and young adult in Utah and the one who adopted her in her adult years. She eventually through those experiences found peace, a purpose and joy . All who knew Janie were gifted with a unique, unperfect person, one who was trying to be a better human she was learning to understand others, to be patient with them, to forgive, to love and not to judge, to be there for others. There is a fitting paragraph from a book that expresses these ideals Janie and many of us are trying to achieve.
From the Book Feeling Grateful By Kobi Yamada - Life is a Gift. And it is for you. The best things in life often aren't things at all. They are experiences lived, emotions felt, and connections made. These are the things that sparkle in our memory. And it is when we are feeling grateful that we can perform our most beautiful acts and appreciate our most treasured moments. May you all feel your memories of Janie "She will forever Glow"
She was preceded in death by her Father Dee Wright, Her Mother Judy Wright Pulsipher, her brother Kelly Wright and son Casey Kearns.
She is survived by her loving sister Chris Rowley, her devoted brothers Brian and Kevin Wright. Loving Nieces and nephews and their children from Utah. Janie's sister Chris her children and Grandchildren Angela her son Dayton, Jason his wife Grace their children Brooklyn, Brynlee and Bryson, Katie and husband Chris children Madison, Kennedy and Lincoln. Brian's Children Eric and Amy they made her so happy. Then her dear friends in Ocala, Mary and Charlie Bianculli, Robin and Jon Bianculli and Chris and Theresa (Bianculli ) Glenn and their sweet children Dominic, Anthony, Victoria, Olivia Maria, Vincent and Sophia. Janie loved sharing what all the children from both families were doing she was so proud of them all. Thank you for loving Naner so!!! And Many dear friends in Florida and many cousins and dear friends in Utah. Her funeral and Mass were held on Friday April 10 at The Queen Of Peace Catholic Church with a burial on the church grounds planned for later in the Spring. A Celebration of Life is being planned for her in Utah in the near future. In lieu of flowers or gifts donations for the care of Janie's brothers can be sent to Venmo juliefellows@julie-fellows-3