Janet M. Coleman (Jan)

Our beloved mother, wife, sister, and friend will be remembered and missed for her welcoming smile, positive attitude, her loyal friends, love for her family and dog Bella, and for her many summers at Flathead Lake attending to her beautiful flowers.

On September 14, 1943 at the Columbus Hospital in Great Falls, Montana, Jan entered this world as the beautiful daughter of Douglas and Genevieve Logan. She was raised in Great Falls, Montana, and graduated from Great Falls High School. She attended college in Missoula at the University of Montana.

Jan married her beloved husband, Leon Coleman, in 1962 in Great Falls and recently celebrated 53 years of marriage. They welcomed twin boys into their family, and they moved to Missoula in 1967. They proceeded to have two daughters to complete their family.

Along with the family business, Motor Supply Company, she also worked for the Credit Bureau in Missoula and Great Falls, Montgomery Ward, sold Avon, worked at Truckers Express and the trucking industry, and finally retired in 2001 from the workforce after many years at Community Hospital.

Jan had many passionate endeavors spanning her lifetime. Her love and talent for crafts and watercolor painting will forever be remembered in her beautiful artwork that hangs in her families' homes. Her passion was painting landscapes and flowers.
When not working and spending time with her family, Jan was an avid volunteer. Among other service organizations, she enjoyed serving on the YWCA board of directors, and was a room mother for years at Target Range School.

Her girlfriends can attest to the devoted friend she was. She loved spending time with her cherished "Bridge Broads," whom she played bridge and spent many fun days and nights laughing and sharing stories for over 38 years. Both she and Leon were also blessed with fantastic neighbors who were always willing to chat and lend a helping hand.

Summer was Jan's favorite season, with 38 summers spent on beautiful Flathead Lake at her and Leon's summer house. Every summer was spent with friends and family lounging in the sun, swimming in the lake, jumping off the dock, roasting s'mores over the campfire, eating lots of great food, and especially enjoying a Happy Hour most evenings. Many memorable vacations with her children and grandchildren were spent at the lake all together.
Along with hot summers spent at Flathead Lake, Jan also loved vacationing to tropical destinations and especially the Hawaiian Islands. She has visited all five of the islands, but Ka'anapali Beach on Maui was her very favorite.

Jan loved life and was very blessed with wonderfully devoted family and friends. She will be greatly missed by her loving husband, Leon; step-sis Kathee (Rex) Nelick of Tacoma, Washington; sons Steve (Cindy) of Spokane, Washington, and Scott (Kathy) of Phoenix, Arizona; daughters Cheryl Anderson (Curtis) of Kent, Washington, and Angela Dutenhoffer (Myron) of Federal Way, Washington; two granddaughters: Megan and Madison Coleman; and seven grandsons: Andrew, Benjamin, and Thomas Coleman; Eric and Matthew Anderson; Samuel and Alexander Dutenhoffer. Last, but not least, she will be very missed by her beloved Bichon Frise dog, Bella, who was her faithful companion and brought her lots of joy.

She is proceeded in death by her parents, Douglas and Genevieve Logan; step-mother, Sharline; and brother, Douglas Logan, Jr.

Jan passed away peacefully four months after being diagnosed with gastroesophageal cancer surrounded by her family on January 17, 2016. She spent her final months in Washington State being cared for by her family with the assistance of her wonderfully compassionate Hospice nurse, Karen. Time was precious, and her daughters enjoyed spending every possible moment with her.

A memorial service will be held at Garden City Funeral Home on Friday, January 29th at 2:00 pm. Condolences for the family may be left at www.missoulafuneralhomes.com

Read Janet Coleman's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.