Janet Wolfenden

1955 - 2025

Janet Marie Wolfenden, 70, of Stevensville, Montana passed away on September 29th, after a five-month battle with cancer.

Janet was born in Rockville, Maryland to Vincent & Florence Scalamandre. The middle child in a house of three girls, Janet was easygoing and intelligent. She loved to play the piano and excelled at swimming.

Janet was hard working and studious, putting herself through college without help from her parents. She earned a degree in Agronomy from Colorado State University and was quickly hired by the USDA, first in Douglas, Wyoming and then in Cedar City, Utah.

Janet loved the outdoors and often enjoyed hiking and skiing. One day in 1985, Janet found herself sitting on a ski lift next to a builder from California named Bob. The two struck up a conversation that compelled Bob to search for Janet when he reached the bottom of the mountain. They were never far apart from that day on. After six months of courting, Bob convinced Janet to move to California. The two were married the following year on the twenty-fifth of January, 1986 at Wayfarer's Chapel in Palos Verdes.

Bob and Janet made their home in Palos Verdes, California. They welcomed their first child, Kristen in August of 1987, with Charles following in 1989, and finally Elisabeth in 1991. Kris, Charlie, and Liz, along with Bob's children Robert Jr. and Julie, made for a lively family that was Janet's pride and joy.

Janet was, above all, a devoted mother, volunteering in the PTA, Girl Scouts, AYSO, the Peninsula Education Foundation, and the Assistance League of San Pedro-South Bay. Janet served for seventeen years as a Girl Scout leader, guiding troops for both her daughters, and helping many young women earn the coveted Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.

Janet was also an enthusiastic and hardworking member of the Palos Verdes community. In addition to countless volunteer hours, Janet often opened her home to host events for the Rotary Club, the Assistance League, the Women's Club of Rolling Hills, and the PV Art Center, among other worthy causes.

In 2016 Bob and Janet embarked on a new chapter, buying a ranch in Stevensville, Montana. In Stevensville they were embraced by a warm and welcoming community. They were fortunate to find the Lone Rock Bible Church. Janet loved Bible study, working in her garden, and participating in line dancing and hiking clubs. She also enjoyed rooting for the Montana Grizzlies.

Janet was the glue that held her large family together. She never missed a chance to celebrate a holiday or birthday, and she planned numerous family parties and trips – cajoling all five children, their spouses, and her eight grandchildren to get together. She had a silly sense of humor that could light up a room or make for a hilarious story. Janet always had her camera or phone handy – and insisted on documenting every occasion with a photograph :) Now that she is gone, Janet's family is thankful for the bountiful harvest of memories that she captured.

Her family will deeply miss their loving wife, mother, stepmother, and grandmother. While her absence leaves a profound void, Bob finds comfort and solace in knowing that Janet has gone home to be with her Lord and Savior and is now free from all pain and sorrow.

Janet is survived by her husband, Bob, their three children, Kristen (Lauren), Charles (Eva), and Elisabeth, as well as stepchildren, Robert (Sarah) and Julie (Ryan) Colich, eight grandchildren, and her sisters, Susanne DeJager and Nancye Bandel. Services are to be held at the Lone Rock Bible Church on Saturday, October 4th at 11:00 a.m. A livestream can be viewed at http://www.facebook.com/lrbcmt.