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Janet Updike Obituary
Washington, UT
Janet passed peacefully in her home in Washington, UT April 22 after battling brain cancer for over three years. The youngest of Eldro and Leona Jeffery's five children, Janet was born on March 23, 1953 in Delta, UT where she grew up until she attended BYU. In 1972 she married Max Clark Tanner. They settled in Las Vegas where she raised her children Jeff (Mary), Jamie (Thad) Garlick, Danny (April) and Melissa (David) Eggertsen.
She was sealed to her sweetheart, John Updike in April 2010 and scored five more children: Paul, Anjenette (Jonathan) Pond, Lorianne (Lance) Toler, Peter (Eli) and Caroline. She has 12 grandchildren, plus 14 more through marriage.
Janet was a lifelong learner, a compassionate humanitarian and an extensive world traveler. She earned her MBA and PhD and taught accounting at UNLV and BYU. She blessed countless lives through her energetic and selfless service. She poured her heart into HELP International, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting poverty. There were no strangers in her life, only friends she hadn't yet met. She was loved by all.
Janet is survived by her children, her ever-loving and devoted husband, John Updike, and her 4 siblings: Larry, Duane, Gayla Erickson and David. She is reunited with her parents and infant daughter Mikayla Tanner.
The family especially would like to thank the wonderful help who aided Janet over the last couple of years.
A viewing will be held Thursday April 27 from 6:30-8pm at Serenity Funeral Home, 1316 S. 400 E. in St George, UT. Funeral services will be held on Saturday April 29 at 11am at the LDS chapel at 2900 N. Timpview Drive in Provo, UT.
A viewing will be held at 9:30am. Following the funeral services, Janet will be interred at the Delta, UT cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to help-international.org in Janet's memory
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Janet Updike
2 Entries
Warner Woodworth
April 27, 2017
Kaye & I offer our deepest condolences to John & the kids. I'm so sorry we didn't know she was suffering. Janet was such a committed individual who was not only a BYU Marriott School colleague, but more importantly to me, a dear friend who gave 17-plus years of her life to the humanitarian work of HELP International. She dedicated much of her life to the poor, & involved her kids as well. We will always remember her: her amazing impacts, her business skills, & her excellent management skills as a board member, & ultimately her years as HELP's board chair. We will never forget many meetings in our home, volunteering together in Honduras starting in 1999 after Hurricane Mitch destroyed the country. Later we traveled & labored in Guatemalan villages, then throughout Africa & parts of Asia, etc. In addition, Janet went with us to Thailand after the 2004 Asian tsunami when we mobilized a hundred volunteers to help rebuild 3 villages. What a wonderful woman, a Mormon who practiced her religion, who gave so much to improve the world. May her family be blessed because of Janet's legacy.
Berry
April 25, 2017
Dear Janet's family ... I loved Janet and have thought of her often. I'm so sorry about her death. She was incredibly valiant ... and loved by everyone who knew her. How could you not love her?? XO from Gail and Bob Berry and family
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