Janet J. James

Janet J. James, nee Tilley, age 84, of South Chicago Heights, Illinois passed away peacefully on Friday, May 20, 2022. Beloved mother of Jan Nielsen, Kim James, Lynn Peterson, Brad James, and Lisa Sorensen. Cherished grandmother of Michael (Sarah) Nielsen, late Shawn Brewster, John DeFrank, Christopher (Michele) DeFrank, Randall Peterson, Nicholas James, Miranda Jefferson, and McKoy Webb. Great grandmother of Logan, Zoey, Tyler, Sage, Chase, Anthony, Giana, Layla, Christopher, Dominic, Michael, Bryce, and McKenna. Dear sister of Lois (late Lester) Patton, Joyce (late James) Flowers, late Bonnie Kirby, Jane (Gary) McQuillen, and William (Bridget) Tilley. Fond aunt to many nieces and nephews.

Janet grew up as a coalminers daughter. Her mother was a stay at home mom who raised six kids. Janet went to school in Bluefield West Virginia. Janet and her older sister Lois used to come home after school and help their daddy (William) build their home. William built a house for the family using heavy cinderblocks with the help of his girls. Later Janet worked several part-time jobs in her late teens early twenties. She was married young and later divorced, after having 5 children of her own. She has sewed new zippers in many pants and jackets, whipped up many delicious meals and kept a clean home. Eventually she decided to go to school and become a nurse. Janet loved to travel with friends or to see family. She enjoyed sun bathing and changing her home décor often. Janet loved tending to her plants and flowers. Playing pool and bowling were fun past times with her children. Janet loved gathering for special occasions and did her best to help others as often as she could. Janet worked most of her life as a nurse and took great pride in her job. I know she wishes she could've spent more time with her family but her work was important too! She was an amazing person who will be forever missed by her friends and family.

Memorial Visitation Saturday, June 4, 2022 from 12:30 p.m. until time of the Memorial Service at 3:30 p.m. at Smits – Steger Memorial Chapel, 3045 Chicago Rd, Steger, IL. For more information, please call 708-755-6100 or visit our online obituary and guestbook at www.SMITSFH.com