Janis Ellen Kasparian

Janis Ellen Kasparian (Nickell) of Dallas, Texas, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family at home on June 20, 2023, at age 85. She is survived by her loving husband, Glenn Kasparian; her daughter, Theresa Kasparian Lilly; son-in-law, Russell Lilly; and two grandsons, Connor Lilly and Sean Lilly.

Janis was born in Little Rock, Arkansas to Harlan H. Nickell and Ellen (Zimmer) Nickell. She loved music, studying piano and harp for many years. Her musical preferences included classical and R&B. She was a lifelong fan of the great Tina Turner. Janis’ passion for teaching deaf children began as a teenager while making friends in the church youth organization with young deaf teenagers. She decided at that young age to follow her calling which led her to earn her first degree in Education of the Deaf from the University of Arkansas and later a Masters Degree from Boston College in Deaf Blind Education Administration.

Janis taught first as an intern at the Arkansas School for the Deaf, followed by the Texas State School for the Deaf. She then returned to the Arkansas School for the Deaf for eight years. In 1964, she and another teacher opened the Washington County School for Learning Disabled Children in NW Arkansas. After teaching successfully in residential schools for twelve years, in 1972 she moved to Boston to attend Boston College earning a Masters degree in Deaf Blind Education Administration. The next phase of her career took her to Dallas as an intern at the Callier Hearing and Speech Center, after which she went to work for DISD as director of the Dallas ISD Regional Day School for the Deaf. Over the years, she developed a college-bound program with the inclusion of sign language interpreters, as well as bringing researchers from Gallaudet University to evaluate the educational success of Dallas students. She was appointed to the board of the Model Secondary School at Gallaudet and to the governing boards of Deaf Educators and Administrators.

Janis loved the arts. She often attended the symphony and other musical concerts as much as possible. In her later years, she developed her skills as a painter and especially enjoyed her studies of Chinese brush painting. She lived life to the fullest enjoying long distance running, football, camping, traveling, Tai Chi, gardening, and her community of friends. Janis was always devoted to her family, cherishing her time with her husband, daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons. She was a constant support to encourage her family members to strive to accomplish any ambition. All of us within her immediate family are who we are today because of her strong and inspiring influence.

Services will be provided by Sparkman-Hillcrest Funeral Home and Memorial Park. A visitation for Janis will be held from 5 – 8:00pm with Rosary at 6pm on Wednesday, July 5, 2023 at Sparkman-Hillcrest Funeral Home, 7405 West Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX 75225. The Funeral Mass will begin at 11:00am Thursday, July 6, 2023, at St. Rita Catholic Church, 12521 Inwood Rd, Dallas, TX 75244. The committal service will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Flowers may be sent to the funeral home or donations may be made to Gallaudet University (Gallaudet.edu), Washington, DC; to the Arthritis Foundation (arthritis.org); or to St. Rita Catholic Church (stritaparish.net), Dallas, TX.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Sparkman-Hillcrest.com for the Kasparian family.