Janice M. Bensley

BENSLEY, Janice M., age 70, of Henrico, VA passed away peacefully on September 1, 2022, with family by her side. Although she faced a very long battle with cancer, due to her remarkable resilience she was able to enjoy a very full and active life during that time.

She was predeceased by her parents, Charles and Valerie Elder. She is survived by her loving husband of 43 years, Bob; daughters, Evelyn and Chelsea; and son, Tom. She is also survived by her sister, Chris (Stu) Gartner of New York, NY; her brother, Rick Elder of Winchester, VA; in-laws, Dave (Gerry) Bensley of Alden, NY; Al (Carol) Bensley of Rochester, NY; Marilyn Bensley of Lancaster, NY; and many nieces and nephews. She loved and remained close to all.

Janice grew up with her family in Buffalo, NY, where she lived throughout her school age years. After attending Buffalo State College for two years, she transferred to Kent State University and in 1975 earned her bachelor's degree in special education. She moved to Richmond in 1977 and began a 28 year teaching career, 26 of which were with Richmond Public Schools in the special education area, working primarily with students on the autism spectrum. Love and patience were her trademarks in that setting. She cared deeply for each of her students and their individual successes were her most cherished reward.

Time with family was always a top priority. She enjoyed hiking in the mountains, long walks on the beach and visiting historic sites. She was an avid reader, loved flower gardens and had a very special appreciation of nature and all of God's creations in it. Around town, she was a regular on many of the park trails walking her beloved pets, Roscoe and Daisy.

A Celebration of Life honoring Janice will be held privately by the family. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Autism Society of Central Virginia (ascv.org), Richmond SPCA or a charity of your choice.