Janet Valerie Watkins

Janet Valerie (Battistella) Watkins, 68, of Pennsville, New Jersey sent her soul to rest on Christmas Eve, December 24th, 2024.
Janet (a.k.a Jan, Janice, Jane-T), was born on March 28th, 1956, in Plainfield, New Jersey to Walter and Alverta (Pundai) Battistella. Janet was the middle child between two brothers, Edwin and Brian.
Janet graduated from Monmouth Regional High School ('73) where she was part of the Color Guard Team. She went on to get married and have 3 children, Robert, Tenielle, and Alisha, to whom she devoted the remainder of her life. Janet traveled the world as a military wife and mother before settling in Newark, Delaware.
Janet quickly found what would later turn out to be a lifelong career with Newark Day Nursery and Children's Center in Newark, Delaware where she remained a loyal, dedicated, dependable team member for 35 years. Janet started as a receptionist and assistant in several of the childcare rooms, and eventually worked her way into the role of Enrollment Coordinator. Janet's role as Enrollment Coordinator allowed her to work closely with families every day to ensure they had the necessary funds to pay tuition. Janet's care, compassion, and empathy made her a perfect fit for her job, where her top priority was to offer support and guidance to families struggling to pay their tuition.
Alongside her job at the daycare, Janet was a permanent fixture at Friendly's Restaurant in People's Plaza where she was a server for 23 years. Known for her dependability, energy, and positivity, Janet spent a lot of time finding jokes to share to brighten the days of her coworkers, her regulars, and other customers that needed their spirits lifted.
Of all of her jobs, the one Janet took the most pride in was being a mother and grandmother. Her unconditional love, support, forgiveness, and resilience in the face of many challenges throughout life were among her most prominent qualities. There was nothing she would not do for her children. When her grandsons Julian and Delorian were born, she seamlessly transitioned into her role as Nonna. She loved using her creativity to think of fun activities for the boys when they were younger, supporting them at their sports games as they got older, and she was so proud to watch them grow into mature, kind, intelligent young men.
Janet was preceded in death by her father, Walter Battistella (1959), her mother, Alverta Battistella Robinson (2/22/14), her daughter, Alisha Watkins (12/29/23), and her son, Robert Watkins Jr. (7/6/24). She is survived by her daughter Tenielle, grandsons Julian and Delorian, grand dogs Tayla, Bella, and Bubba, and countless amazing friends and coworkers who remained by her side and kept her going when times were tough.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Janet on what would have been her 69th Birthday, March 28, 2025. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Newark Day Nursery and Children's Center (921 Barksdale Rd., Newark, DE 19711) in Janet's memory, to be used to help establish The Scholarship Fund for Families in Need.