Janice M. Simon

She was born in Lowell on April 3, 1940, daughter of Mary Cox of North Andover and the late Patrick Cox. She was raised in Lowell, where she attended St. Patrick and St. Margaret schools and graduated from Lowell High School.

Mrs. Simon was the first female worker in the Boston Painters Union, according to family members. Prior to retiring, she owned and operated JANCO Painting Co. in Lowell.

She was a member of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Lowell. She enjoyed gardening.

Besides her husband and mother, she is survived by two daughters, Deborah A. Simon and her fiancee Rick Elliott of Litchfield, and Mariellen Tsaousis and her husband Fotis of Tewksbury; three sons, George Simon of Lowell, John "Jay" Simon and his wife Stacey of Pelham, and Eric Simon of Methuen and his companion Colleen Norman; 10 grandchildren, Jennifer, Stephany, Jake and Alexis Simon, Deena, Peter and John Tsaousis, Emma and Trevor Simon, and Ricky Elliott; a sister, Justine Shaffer and her husband Frank of Merrimack; a brother, Christopher Cox and his wife Pat of Lowell.

She also leaves a brother-in-law, Frederick Simon and his wife Elaine of Tewksbury; four sisters-in-law, Florence Beede and her husband Calvin, Evelyn Willis of Lowell, Margaret Simon of Nashua, and Olga Sahley and her children, James Sahley and Barbara Cleaver, all of Fort Myers, Fla.; an uncle, William Burke, residing in Florida; and many nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Simon was the sister of the late Patricia Gayer and Carol Kopycinski; and a sister-in-law of the late Mary Valorose and George Simon.