Janet Mae Pisciotta (nee Best) was born in Colorado Springs, CO to Stuart and Grace Best on May 25, 1936. She passed away on March 11, 2019 after a courageous battle with cancer. Janet spent much of her childhood living on a cattle ranch in Douglas County, Colorado with her sisters, parents, and paternal grandparents. There she enjoyed playing the piano, raising turkeys, and riding horses. She was one of the last students to attend the Spring Valley one-room school where her mother, Grace, was the teacher. She graduated from Western State College in Gunnison, CO and later earned a master degree in Educational Administration from ASU.
Janet met her husband, Pete, at Western State College and the two married in 1957. In 1960, Janet, Pete and her young family moved to Phoenix, AZ. The Valley of the Sun remained her primary residence for the remainder of her life. Janet was a lifelong educator. The vast majority of her career was spent at Frank Borman School where she taught language arts.
Family was her highest priority. Over the years, she loved camping trips to the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, relaxing at their cabin in Cholla Bay, and watching her sons and grandchildren play sports. She was an avid fan of the Phoenix Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks, and the PGA tour. After raising their three sons, Janet and Pete, her husband of 56 years, spent summers in Colorado and traveled throughout Europe and the U.S.
Janet is preceded in death by her husband, Pete and sister, Doris. She is survived by her three sons, Gary (Jessie), Steve (Sally), Chris (Lori), her grandchildren, Cailene, Maura, and Steven, her sister Charlotte, her brothers-in-law Fred (Sharon), John (Sharleen), and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Janet will be forever remembered as a loving wife, mother and grandmother whose presence was as calming as it was humble and unassuming.
A Mass of Resurrection will be at 9:30 am on Thursday, March 21st, 2019 at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 6180 W Utopia Road, Glendale, AZ. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests memorial donations to the Cancer Support Community Arizona, 360 E Palm Ln, Phoenix, AZ 85004. www.cscaz.org
