Janice R. Hile
Dec. 26, 1950-Nov. 4, 2020
Janice Ruth Hile (December 26, 1950), daughter of Ivan and Lois (Runyon) Groth, passed away at the Brookdale nursing facility in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, November 4, surrounded by her two sons, husband, and daughter-in-law. Janice was a cherished mother, wife, sister, aunt, and proud grandmother. She lived a deeply meaningful, giving, and intentional life. A life full of love, laughter, and joy.
As a young woman, Janice was known fondly in Monroe as one of the Groth sisters and would often sing duets in local concerts with her identical twin Joyce. Janice was a devoted, life-long teacher in the Monroe Public School system and taught 1st and 2nd grade for 34 years, inspiring generations of readers -- a source of great pride in her life. Janice loved singing Motown songs, reading mystery novels, shopping with her sister, and traveling with family. She found joy in taking trips to Williamsburg, Toronto, and Shaker Village of Kentucky. After her retirement, she was able to travel widely with her husband John to Scotland, Charleston, and New York City, among other places.
Janice was an enthusiastic member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church, serving as a youth leader for many years with her husband. She built a beautiful community of friends during her time at St. Paul's, and enjoyed going out for dinner, traveling, and serving with others in that community.
In 2007, Jan was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. She fought tirelessly for 13 years to hold onto memories and her life's joys: family, the pleasure of a good book in hand, and a warm cup of coffee tableside. She was proud of her two sons, Paul and Stephen, their wives, Grace and Sarah Anderson, her grandchildren, Eleanor and Henry, her sister Joyce McCallum, her nieces and nephews including Jennifer and Nathan Zieske and Brian DuVal, and her devoted husband of almost 40 years, John.
Her family wishes to emphasize how important her students were in her life. Even as her cognitive ability declined, Janice remembered all of her students and the years she
had them in her classroom. Her family hopes that former students and others who valued Jan will share special memories of Mrs. Hile online by visiting the obituary page at www.bacarellafuneralhome.com
Friends, family, and former students are invited to send donations in Janice's honor to Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Kentucky by contacting Barry Stumbo at bstumbo@shakervillageky.org, who will help facilitate donations in her honor.
The Hile family will be having a closed, private memorial service online. Bacarella Funeral Home is assisting the family with funeral, cremation, and interment arrangements.
Janice will be deeply missed, but her generous spirit and gorgeous heart remain in all those she touched throughout her 69 years.