Janet Ann Bright

Janet Ann (Scherr) Bright passed away after a long, joy-filled life. She left behind her husband, John Bright, a devoted husband who held her hand until the very end. Janet is also survived by her son, Michael; daughter, Lisa; stepdaughter, Kris; brother, John Cooper Scherr (Barbara); sister, Judith (James); grandchildren, Zachary, Johnathan, Autumn, Hannah, and Makenna; and great-grandchildren, Lilly, Raine, and Jasper. Janet was born in Keyser, West Virginia on June 20, 1943 to Joseph and Jacqueline Scherr (nee Cooper). After the war and a brief time in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, they moved to Richmond, Virginia, where she grew up, graduated from high school, got married, and became a mommy - the only thing she wanted most to be.

A master seamstress, Janet often made Lisa's outfits, especially for special occasions like Easter. She often read stories to the kids at bedtime and especially liked to read the Raggedy Ann series to Lisa. Years later, Janet put her seamstress skills to good use and began to create her own versions of Raggedy Ann dolls. Part of Janet will live on in those dolls, because they were crafted with love and designed to last more than a mere lifetime.

Then it was on to rural North Carolina where Janet would continue her journey with her new husband, John, precious family in tow. Once her children were out of high school, she and John decided to move up into the mountains to Hendersonville, NC. Coincidentally, her children, Lisa and Michael, had both studied at and eventually graduated from Appalachian State University nearby in Boone. For more than the next generation, Janet and John lived nestled in the mountains near her parents, Joe and Jackie; her sister, Judith and her family; and her children, Michael and Lisa; who had all settled there near them. There, she was able to watch her grandchildren be born and enjoy helping raise them, because raising family is all Janet wanted to do.

Once the grandkids began growing up and moving away, Janet and John knew it was time for their final great adventure. They decided their final destination would be in Nocatee, Florida, where they built their forever home. They enjoyed the community there for a decade. Janet passed peacefully in her forever home on February 16, 2026.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Jacksonville Zoo.

Donations Can be made to:

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
http://www.jacksonvillezoo.org