Janet Calhoun Gamel

Janet was intelligent, bringing her unique brilliance to bear with the passions she followed: art, antiques, landscaping, pottery, collecting, and helping people. She was curious, inquisitive, fearless in most everything, and always a fierce mother to her children, Payton and Jay Everett Lord, she had with David Allen Lord, whom she met while attending the University of Texas in Austin. The couple married in San Antonio and had two children: Payton Constance and Jay Everett Lord, who she raised with he help of her mother, Jayne Gamel, Senior.

Over the years, Janet had a real talent for acquiring and selling antiques of all kinds, focusing on furniture, estate sales and consignments at various studios in San Antonio. She evolved a parallel passion for pottery, building an impressive professional shop in her residence and producing works from teacups to five-foot light sconces used at the San Antonio Convention Center on the Riverwalk.

Later in life, she developed her lifelong love of plants and gardens, developing a small but focused landscaping business in Austin for 15 years before failing health brought her into retirement 5 years ago.

She lived the gypsy life of the military family she grew up with: Col. Jay Franchel and Jayne Estes Gamel, with her siblings Jay F. Jr. And sister Jayne Doris, Jr. Starting life in San Antonio, she lived three years near London, four years in Washington, DC, three years in Dayton, Ohio, another year in Washington, followed by two years in Paris, France. The Colonel’s medical retirement brought the family back to San Antonio.

Along the way, she met musicians, did light shows for a major Texas act, explored all walks of life and participated in Kiwanis (San Antonio Treasurer for one chapter), a hospice volunteer, fell in love and lived life to the full. She had good friends, was generous, and had advice on almost any subject to share.

She is survived by her daughter, Payton Pangburn (Stephen) and son, Jay Lord, both of Austin, grandsons Riley Jay Green, Coty Scott Pangburn (Chelsea) of Kansas City, Missouri, and Stephen Troy Pangburn, great-granddaughter (June), her brother, Jay Gamel of Kenwood, California, her beloved niece, Ann Alva Wieding of Austin, Texas.

She wished for no memorial service. Please share stories on the memorial site and together we can remember her wit and humor. Later her ashes will be scattered at a private place in the Hill Country that she loved. Donations may be made to Texas Heartland Animal Sanctuary at https://texasheartland.org/ in honor of her love for animals.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.wcfishsouth.com for the Janet Calhoun Gamel family.