Janet Grace LISMANIS

LISMANIS, Janet Grace

A lifelong resident of Spokane, Janet loved and lived life to the fullest, even though her body fought itself through most of her life. She suffered with the auto-immune disease lupus. Maybe she had two good years of 69 lived where pain was not an overwhelming issue: one year in college where she captured the heart of her future husband and another year when she was carrying her only child. Even so she loved life. Anyone around her for any significant amount of time could not avoid catching some of that spirit and enthusiasm that she exuded from every pore of her body. In college, when she was being courted by her future husband, they would try to eat lunch or dinner together, but it seemed that her boyfriend's best friend never let them alone to eat because he was so smitten by her also! It was a standing joke that they were a threesome. But it was so much fun! Janet was such a social, fun loving, giving person. Often times clever too. When her son was five, he had three buddies ages four, four and three. They would always play at our house. This could be quite disturbing to Janet to always hear the doorbell ring when her son was off somewhere with his grandparents or dad. So she made a cardboard clock face with moveable hour and minute hands and a message on the clock which said "Eric will be home at__ ". The boys would sit patiently on the porch steps for the time to arrive. Janet's lupus only went into remission for two years, but still somehow she managed to work 20 hours a week for 20 years as an RN on Sacred Heart's psychiatric floor or as a floater. Never has there been a person who could laugh more about herself or more about life.
Immediate surviving family members are Ricky and Mary Anne Stowell of Portland, OR; son, Eric, of Bend, OR and husband Alfred.
Memorial services will be held at Shadle Park Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of Alberta and Rowan at 2PM, Friday, April 8. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Spokane organization.