Janice Elaine Neely

Janice Neely was born Janice Elaine Gilbert on July 24th, 1934 in Gunnison, Colorado. Raised in Crested Butte, Colorado by her parents William and Dorothy Gilbert, Janice moved to Pueblo, Colorado where she graduated from Centennial High School and met James A. MacDonald, whom she married in 1952.

Janice received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and a Master’s in Music from Adam’s State University. After traveling around the globe with Jim and their two daughters, Kathleen MacDonald-Evoy and Karen Lewis, to places such as Guam, American Samoa, Vietnam and Hong Kong, Janice returned to Arizona and kept pursuing higher education, earning a Masters in Social Work from Arizona State University. She later became a licensed clinical social worker, specializing in rural mental health.

Janice worked in rural clinics in both Alaska and Wyoming, eventually returning to Arizona to finish her career in Globe.

After losing Jim to a long battle with brain cancer, Janice met and married Tom Neely on October 5, 1996. The two got married at the Phoenix Zoo and traveled across the country. They spent much of their time dedicated to helping and caring for wounded and neglected tropical birds.

In Janice’s career she worked for Chicanos por la Causa, as well as her own private practice,James A. MacDonald & Associates. She was a pilot and part of the Ninety-Nines, an all female pilot organization created by Amelia Earhart. Janice was an accomplished musician who began playing the marimba at age 5. She was a champion skeet-shooter and a passionate patron of the theater.

The family is asking that in lieu of flowers or gifts to please send donations to the Phoenix Zoo, one of her favorite places.

Janice is survived by her brother William D. Gilbert; daughters Kathleen MacDonald and Karen (Robert) Lewis; grandchildren Jerod MacDonald-Evoy, Kellie (Justin) MacDonald-Evoy, Erin (Andrew) Gorry, Carrie (Derek) Miller; and great-grandchidren Simone and Maxine Gorry.