Janet E. Middleton

Janet E. Middleton, 78, of Leawood, KS passed away Sunday, February 19, 2012. Visitation will be held Saturday, February 25th at McGilley State Line Chapel, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. A Memorial Service will be at 2:00 p.m., with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, MO, 64105.

Jan was born November 7, 1933 in Kansas City, KS to John W. and Mildred (Haworth) Shultz. She graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1951. She then entered the data processing field where she held increasingly responsible positions with IBM, TWA, AT&T, US Air Force, Waddell & Reed and UMKC. She married Joe Middleton in 1960. From 1963 until 1981 she raised her daughter, Jackie, and became a full time volunteer. Jan’s volunteer work included serving as President of the Corinth PTA, Campfire Girls Leadership, and later serving as Treasurer of the Oxford Hills Home Owners Association, among many others. From 1981 until 2007 she assisted her husband, Joe, in the operations of Kansas City Commercial Cartage Co., Crooks Warehouses and Total Distribution.

Jan was a member at Village Presbyterian Church. Her hobbies were reading and writing. She battled cancer with humor, wisdom, dignity and grace and inspired many others with her positive outlook.

Jan was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, John W. Shultz, Jr. and an infant sister. She is survived by Joe, her husband of 52 years, daughter Jackie Middleton, granddaughter Jessica Middleton Zidek, all of Leawood, KS and her brother Merle Shultz of Baldwin City, KS.