Janet McNeil Dugger

Janet Ruth (McNeil) Dugger

Janet McNeil Dugger, beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother (aka Nana or Grandma Janet), great-grandmother and friend died in Garland, Texas on August 29, 2023. Gabriel's orchestra now has a new principal cellist, and his choir has a new pianist.

Janet was born in Amarillo, Texas to G. Robert and Ruth (Butler) McNeil on September 11, 1944. She graduated from Amarillo High School, attended Amarillo College (where she met and fell in love with Kenny) and earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Wichita State University.

Her life was a rare and wonderful blend of faith, love, beauty, excellence and strength. Her devotion to her family was foremost and unwavering, but she also created a sense of family among all those whom she knew and loved. As a piano and cello teacher, her love for her students was as deep and expressive as her lifelong love for the music she taught. She created a world of beauty through her inspiring music, her gracious smile and her generous spirit.

Janet sought excellence in all she did, whether in her long career as a teacher, as a leader in numerous professional organizations, or by sharing her musical gifts through performance. She played cello in the Texas All-State High School orchestra, Amarillo Symphony and the First Baptist Church of Richardson orchestra, which included tours to Germany, Austria, England and Latvia. She also sang for many years in the church's adult vocal ensemble, New Vision Singers. She served as a deacon at FBCR, president of Richardson Music Teachers Association as well as coordinator of their music theory exams and director of their piano ensembles at the Texas Music Teachers Association conventions. She taught cello to 50+ students and piano to 230+ students, including several of her grandchildren. A number of her students continued on to become ministers of music, music educators, song writers and professional instrumentalists.

Besides music of any type, she loved her Lord, her family, her friends, her dogs, mystery novels, jewelry, parties, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, cellist YoYo Ma, travel, Sonic cokes, anything lemon-flavored, and rainbow trout.

For most of us, when we are gone, our presence is merely absent; but there are a few, who, when they leave us, create an absence that is ever present. Janet was one of those people. She loved us, she inspired us, and we will miss her greatly.

Janet was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her loving husband of 59 years Kenyon Dugger Jr., daughter Denise Tidwell and her husband Kent, son Alan Dugger and his wife Gina, son David Dugger and his wife Shannon, grandchildren Shelby, her husband Erik, Emma, Kyle, Rachel, Colin, Kelsey, Jack, and great-grandsons Hayes and Harris, as well as her brothers Frank and Lee McNeil and their families and a multitude of cousins and their families.

We want to express our most sincere thanks and gratitude for the loving care provided by the staff at Bader House Memory Care in Plano and Grand Brook Memory Care in Garland. Special gratitude to Angel, Janene, Tangi, and Yeshe.

In lieu of flowers, we request donations to the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org. The solution to eradicating this devastating disease will only be found by dedicating resources for research.

Memorial service to be held at First Baptist Church, Richardson, Monday, Oct 9th, 10 am.